Out of Darkness
by weezerz2490
Summary: Just when Kirk thought he could relax, Khan manages to escape once again, and a new threat appears. One that may be even more dangerous than Khan himself. With Starfleet still reeling from the damage of his last rampage, they may need help from one of Khan's old enemies from the past. But who is this girl, really? And can they stop this new threat before it's too late?
1. Prologue

**Author's note:** This story is supposed to be set some time between when Kirk is released from the hospital and the re-dedication ceremony for the newly finished/repaired _Enterpris_e about a year later. I grew up watching Star Trek with my borderline Trekkie family, but it's been awhile since I watched any of the TV series, so I apologize to the hardcore fans out there if I mess something up (I am in the process of rewatching TOS), but I also want to warn you ahead of time, that some changes will be made and some canon facts may be fudged on purpose for the sake of the plot. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the story!

I own nothing but my OC.

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**_[[ The Prologue ]]_**

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**Stardate: 2259.76  
Section 31, London**

Henry Miller, an aging but sturdy security guard, let out a tired sigh while he waited to be relieved of duty. He was really looking forward to getting some shuteye after having the entire dogwatch to himself. Maybe was getting too old for this. He took his eyes off the corridor before him to take a quick, surreptitious glance at the huge vault door behind him. One would never guess there was a monster on the other side of said door. Seventy-three of them, in fact. Even if they were all in cryostasis and completely harmless, it still gave him the willies. Why Starfleet chose to store that lot here was beyond him. After that bloody terrorist attack on the archive, Section 31 was understandably understaffed, and it certainly did not help that many of its former members were still suspended or currently under investigation. Starfleet's Internal Affairs branch had been doing their best to root out corruption after learning of Admiral Marcus's mad scheme to start a war, but since someone apparently took the liberty of wiping out most of the files associated with that particular project, such a task was easier said than done. That being said, there were few remaining members of Section 31 still deemed trust worthy enough for this assignment, and Miller was proud to say that he had made the cut. So, here he was, guarding a supposedly impregnable vault full of frozen super men in what was left of Section 31.

The sound of boot heels hitting the floor drew the guard's attention back to the corridor he was supposed to be watching. A young woman dressed in the female security uniform was steadily making her way towards him. She was a strikingly beautiful woman, what with her copper red hair, sharp blue eyes, and flawless peaches and cream complexion. She looked like an angel. A very sexy angel. If only he were a few years younger… Oh well. The older guard shrugged. He would just have to be content with the knowledge he was being relieved and could finally go home.

"Hey, how's it going?" She asked, flashing him a smile as she raised her hand in greeting.

"No disturbances so far." Miller replied, returning her dazzling smile. "It's been silent as the grave down here." The young woman smirked.

"I couldn't have put it better myself."

"—_!_?" Miller gasped, his eyes widening in surprise, when she suddenly struck him with a swift karate chop to the neck with her raised hand. He was out before he even had time to hit the floor.

"I'll be taking that, thanks." She said, squatting down so she could swiftly removing the emergency keycard from Miller's pocket and open the vault. "I'm afraid I have business with Mr. Harrison… or should I say 'Khan Noonien Singh'?"


	2. The Awakening

I own nothing but my OC.

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**_[[Chapter 1: The Awakening]]_**

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**San Francisco,  
Starfleet Head Quarters**

"Did Admiral Banks say why he suddenly decided to summon us? I just got out the hospital. Can't a guy get a break around here?" Kirk asked Spock, feeling a little chagrined, as the two of them made their way to the admiral's office. He had missed a lot during his time in the hospital, according to McCoy and Spock, but apparently Admiral Steven Banks had taken over Marcus's position, at least temporarily.

"You were comatose for approximately two weeks, Captain. Perhaps the Admiral is tired of waiting to speak with you about your report on Khan." Spock suggested, stating the obvious. Due to the fact that the most (surviving) senior officer that had been involved in the confrontation with the dangerous augment had been in a condition where he was unable to testify, in addition to other pressing matters, such as sorting out the aftermath of Admiral Marcus's catastrophic attempt to jumpstart a war with the Klingons—which unfortunately seemed to be working, because now relations with the Klingons seemed to be more tense than ever—the trial of John Harrison, A.K.A. "Khan", had been put on the back burner for now. Well, at least the homicidal maniac couldn't do any damage while he was doing time as a popsicle…

"Well, yeah. But _why_?" Kirk pressed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "You and the others submitted your reports weeks ago, and I doubt mine had much more information to add to the picture. So why would he send the both of us such an urgent summons just to rehash information everyone already knows? That's what the trial is for!"

"… Perhaps, the circumstances have changed." Spock said thoughtfully, furrowing his brow slightly.

"You don't think… the talks fell through with the Klingons, do you?" Kirk asked, frowning. Could it be they somehow found out that Starfleet was connected to the incident on Kronos, after all? They wouldn't really declare war just because of that, would they?

"I do not know, Captain, but I sincerely hope that is not the case."

As they stepped into the admiral's office, Kirk and Spock noticed the man was pacing the room nervously.

"Ahem. Captain James T. Kirk and First Officer, Commander Spock, reporting." Kirk announced, clearing his throat to get Banks's attention. "You wanted to see us, sir?"

"Ah, good. You're here." Banks said brusquely, stopping to greet them, though the stocky and robust man's brow remained heavily creased with worry. "And not a moment too soon! I realize you've only just been released from Dr. McCoy's care, but I'm afraid we have an emergency on our hands."

"Emergency?" Kirk asked, exchanging a quick look of concern with his first officer. "What kind of emergency, sir? Did the Klingons—"

"—No, no! Nothing like that!" The admiral quickly cut in to reassure him, knowing full well where Kirk was going with this. The threat of a possible war was becoming an ever increasing weight on the mind of every responsible Starfleet officer these days, but their relationship with the Klingons hadn't come to that yet, thankfully. "it seems we've managed to dodge that bullet for now, but the current situation could prove just as dangerous if not handled properly."

"And what is the situation, if I may be so bold as to ask?" Spock asked curiously. If not the Klingons, then what…?

"It's John Harrison—I mean, _Khan_—He's escaped." Admiral Banks stated gravely. Despite his best effort to keep his expression carefully neutral, Spock visibly stiffened, and Kirk's eyes widened as he stared at the admiral in shock.

"Wha... _How!_?" Kirk demanded incredulously, unable to help himself. "I mean, with all due respect, sir, I thought Khan had already been put back into cryostasis and locked up for safekeeping with the rest of his crew. How could he have possibly managed to escape in such a state?" He should have been a completely comatose popsicle again!

"He had help." Banks replied simply, frowning as he picked his PADD up off of his desk and pulled up the security footage for the vault before handing it over so they could see for themselves. "It happened just a little over an hour ago."

Kirk and Spock watched as a human wearing a Starfleet security uniform stepped into view, keeping her back to the camera as she approached the guard on duty. She was tall compared to the average woman's height, and her red hair was pulled back in a tight bun that just screamed 'anal retentive' to Kirk, but her curves were smoking hot, at least from the back. The woman raised her hand, as if greeting the guard, but then she swiftly administered a sharp blow to the neck, knocking him out cold. She then proceeded to steal the man's keycard and enter the vault. The footage cut out for a split second before starting up again. Judging by the angle, this time they were viewing footage from a camera that had been mounted inside one of the top corners of the vault. Once again, the woman seemed to know exactly where the camera was, and she was careful to keep her face turned away from it as she made her way through the rows of cryotubes. She stopped abruptly when she found what she was looking for. Spock and Kirk both raised an eyebrow when the woman climbed on top of Khan's cryotubes, straddling it like a mechanical bull, and pushed up her sleeve on one arm, revealing the strange device, which vaguely resembled an old digital wristwatch, that she was wearing strapped to her wrist.

"What the…?" Kirk said, squinting as though it would help him get a better look, even though Spock had already maxed out the screen's option to zoom in.

She pushed the buttons to enter some kind of sequence of command, and the next thing they knew, she and the cryotubes were both being enveloped by the telltale swirling, gold bands of energy particles that were characteristic of transwarp beaming. And then they were gone… just like that.

"Admiral, was the vault not shielded?" Spock asked, furrowing his brow slightly. If the vault was shielded, then it should have been impossible for them to beam out like that, and he could not believe Starfleet Command would be so irresponsible as to use anything less for such a dangerous man like Khan. This woman, whoever she was, had managed to successfully steal his cryotube in under two minutes thanks to her ability to beam out with it. It was absurd how easily she had made it look to breach Starfleet security, too. The Admiral sighed tiredly.

"It _was_." He said a touch defensively. "She must have somehow managed to disable the force field before she entered the vault."

"Do you have any idea who she is or where she's going?" Kirk asked, clenching his fist. He couldn't believe that someone would let that psycho out into the world again!

"We're still working on the _who_, but we do at least know where they are since we were able to trace their warp signature using the trail of energy they left behind. If our calculations are correct, then they should be somewhere on Rigel XII. Unless Khan's mystery accomplice has done something to damage the homing device we installed on his cryotube, you should be able to use the signal to narrow down their exact location once you get closer to the planet." Banks explained, glancing between the two of them. "You two have the most experience dealing with Khan. You stopped him once, now I need you to stop him again. We need to find this before she can revive him, or who knows what damage he'll do this time!"

"You can count on us, sir." Kirk stated dutifully, smirking slightly at the prospect of being able to get another crack at Khan. They were going to do it right this time, without any casualties… Well, maybe without any casualties besides Khan. It was going to be tough recapturing and bringing that bastard in alive again…

"Excuse me, Captain, Admiral…" Spock said, thinking perhaps it would be best if he spoke up before the two humans got too carried away. "But I believe you are forgetting something. At the moment we currently have no ship, as the _Enterprise_ is still undergoing heavy repairs and is not expected to be fit for travel for several more months." he reminded them. Not only that, but they had probably only managed to capture Khan the last time because he had been unarmed. Even when enraged and using his full strength as a Vulcan, Spock had still needed Uhura to stun Khan several times to weaken the enhanced human before he could finally succeed in knocking him out.

Kirk blinked as he stared at Spock. Couldn't he have brought that little tidbit up a bit sooner? You know, before he made an ass of himself by agreeing to something he clearly wasn't going to be able to deliver on…?

"You do that on purpose, don't you?" Kirk asked half-jokingly, narrowing his eyes slightly at the Vulcan. Spock glanced at his captain with a brief flicker of confusion in his eyes, as if he didn't know what he was talking about.

"Ahem. I did not forget that fact, Mr. Spock. I've already made arrangements for you to hitch a ride with Captain Harris on board the _Excalibur_." The Admiral said, clearing his throat. "Now, more importantly, I actually have some good news in this dire situation. While investigating Section 31, we found something_ very_ interesting—the only remaining copy of all the data that Marcus had erased on Khan and the other augments they found onboard the _SS Botany Bay_. It turns out there were _seventy-four_ survivors."

_"What?_ You don't mean… _another one_ is out there on the loose somewhere, do you?" Kirk asked, appalled, clearly hoping he had just misheard. How was that supposed to be good news_!_?

"Forgive me, Admiral, but I fail to see how this could be of benefit to us." Spock stated, silently seconding that emotion.

"It's not what you're thinking, boys. Believe it or not, this one's on our side." Admiral Banks told them, smirking slightly. "She's the one responsible for forcing Khan and his crew into exile in the first place.

"If she's such a saint, then why was she on the ship with Khan?" Kirk asked dubiously. "How do we know she won't turn on us once she's been revived?"

"The cons for taking such a risk far out way the pros." Spock agreed. Tracking down one super human was bad enough.

"Aren't either of you gentlemen familiar with the old Earth saying "it takes a thief to catch a thief? Now see here, I don't know why she was on the ship with Khan and his crew, but from what I've read, she's just what we need to get an edge over on Khan. Before the two of you came along, she was the first—and only—person who ever managed to actually put Khan into 'check', and she did it single-handedly, without bloodshed." The admiral explained. He needed them to understand how important this was. Starfleet couldn't afford to take any more damage. They had already been dealt a heavy blow by Khan's first rampage while he was disguised as John Harrison, and they could not afford to be seen as 'weak' while the Klingons were still circling like vultures. Plus, Dr. McCoy had already been ordered to start defrosting her…

"… All right." Kirk finally and reluctantly agreed, though it sounded too good to be true. He could tell by the look in Admiral Banks's eyes that any further arguing on this point would just be a waste of valuable time. The faster they found Khan, the better. "Who exactly is this mysterious heroine, anyway."

"Her name," the admiral said, relieved that Kirk had decided not fight him on this, "is Primavera Dempsey."

—∞—

**Starfleet Medical**

"Damn it, man. I'm a doctor, not a magician!" McCoy argued adamantly. Despite having already received his orders and having had his patient delivered all the way to San Fran for him, the doctor had still yet to begin his work. "I can't snap my fingers and make this happen because _you_ want it to! Look, just because I was able to keep one cryogenically frozen 300-year-old man alive, in a coma, while Captain Kirk borrowed his cryotube, doesn't mean I can successfully revive this one. This technology is ancient. If the proper procedures aren't followed—whatever they are—then she could very well die." Besides, even if he could figure out a way to do it, McCoy still wasn't sure bringing another one of these dangerous superhumans into the world was such a brilliant idea. As the good doctor understood it, the only thing this 'Primavera Dempsey' had going for her was that the late Admiral Marcus had decided she was worth setting aside for a rainy day, as a precaution, in the all too real case of Khan's sudden but inevitable betrayal.

"Dr. McCoy, please… You're the only one we can count on in this situation." The young lieutenant that had escorted him to the designated operating room asserted weakly, beginning to wilt under the older man's withering glare and stubborn diatribe. Hey, he was just the messenger, man…

"Cryogenics simply isn't within my area of expertise." McCoy replied, shaking his head. "What about the doctor who revived Khan. Can't they do it?"

"No, sir. I'm afraid that's impossible." The lieutenant regretfully informed him. "You see, it wasn't a doctor who revived Khan. According to the recovered log, his ship did it automatically after being boarded by the crew who discovered it, though it may have malfunctioned, because it took him quite a while to recover, considering his advanced regenerative capabilities…"

"Well, that just makes me even more convinced that this is a bad idea." McCoy said definitively, chagrined. How did they expect him to pull something like this off when a machine that was actually _designed_ to do it couldn't? Who did he look like, God?

"I feel ya, Bones." A familiar voice sounded from behind. McCoy turned around to see Jim making his way towards him, accompanied by Spock. "But I don't think we have much of a choice." His friend and captain finished grimly. "According to Admiral Banks, it's sink or swim. We need her to help us stop Khan… again."

"You mean, they want to send you out after that madman _again!_?" McCoy demanded incredulously, shooting a sharp look at the young lieutenant. The boy had neglected to mention _that_ little detail… "Jim, you _just _got out the hospital! You're barely ready to resume command of a ship, much less chase that homicidal maniac halfway across the galaxy!"

"In the captain's defense, this rash course of action was not his idea. For once." Spock stated calmly.

"That last part was unnecessary." Kirk deadpanned, slightly chagrined. Was it just him, or was Spock purposefully giving him a hard time today…? "But, let's be honest, Bones. Would you feel comfortable letting someone else go after Khan?" he asked the doctor, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd feel more 'comfortable' if he hadn't been allowed to escape in the first place." McCoy retorted dryly. But he knew Jim was right. They couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Jim couldn't hand this mission off to another captain who was less experienced at dealing with Khan anymore than he could hand his patient over to someone who might screw this up even worse than him. Dr. McCoy sighed in defeat. "All right, all right… But I _still_ think this plan is insane." He relented reluctantly, shaking his head, as he left them to scrub in.

—∞—

"—Huwaah!" Prima gasped desperately as she finally regained consciousness, struggling for air. Her eyes popped open, wide with shock and confusion. She couldn't breathe! Why was it so hard to breathe_!_? Is this what it felt like to have an asthma attack? Was she suffering from anaphylaxis? But she wasn't allergic to anything! Despite her panic, she was vaguely aware that she was not alone in the room. She could feel the air currents shifting about her, hear the sound of shuffling feet and the rustle of fabric. There was also a very familiar beeping in the background, and the smell of industrial strength antiseptic was in the air. Was she in a hospital. She certainly hoped so if she was having this much trouble just breathing! As her blurry vision faded in and out, she could just make out the silhouettes of the two figures looming over her against the bright light shining in her face.

"—Heart beat dropping!" She heard a deep voice announce. It's melodic, Southern accent was strained with worry and concern as the rhythmic beeping suddenly changed it's tune, slowing dangerously. She was going into cardiac arrest. "There's a heart flutter! She's dying_!_! I need two cc's of cordrazine—_stat! And where is that oxygen I asked for!_?" He demanded sharply.

"Yes, Doctor!" A softer, feminine voice said urgently as a third shadow joined the two hovering over her. Prima felt them place some kind of respirator over her mouth. There was a sharp pain in her neck, and then breathing suddenly began to come much more easily to her. The heart monitor next to her regained a faster, steadier beat as her heart also recovered. Now that her brain wasn't starving for oxygen, her vision quickly became much more focused, and she could see the faces of the three-person medical team that had revived her in much greater detail. The brunette man (probably the doctor, judging by what she had heard), who was kind of scruffy in a 'ruggedly handsome' kind of way, appeared to be in his mid to late thirties. The two nurses seemed to be fairly attractive as well, but she was barely able to get a look at them, since they had both quickly moved off to the side once they realized she was actually awake. Why were they so nervous? Were they afraid of her?

"Miss Dempsey. I'm Leonard McCoy, a doctor. We're here to help." The doctor said, drawing her full attention back onto himself. "If you can, I want you follow my finger with your eyes." McCoy instructed her, slowly moving his finger back and forth in front of her face. Her eyes easily traced its path. Once again, McCoy was amazed by the recuperative abilities of these genetically enhanced humans. Barely a minute had passed, and already her vital signs were returning to normal. Better than normal, actually. Her lung and heart efficiency was quickly rising to be right on par with the readings he had taken of Khan's. He couldn't be certain of this before, without time to conduct proper physicals for more members of Khan's crew, but it seemed it was safe to assume that the rest of them _did_ possess the same incredible healing abilities as him, after all. He watched curiously as she slowly, tentatively reached her hand up to remove the respirator mask.

"How… long?" She asked, wincing at how dry and scratchy her throat was from disuse. Her voice sounded far too weak. It was hoarse and raspy. Prima thought she sounded disturbingly similar to Rod Stewart. She really hoped it wasn't permanent, but on the other hand, at least she would be able to do a killer impression of him singing 'The First Cut is the Deepest' if things didn't work out…

"How long? Have you been sleeping, you mean?" He asked, furrowing his brow slightly as he replaced the mask over her mouth, not wanting to take any chances. Prima nodded. "The year is 2259… You've been asleep for almost 300 years." McCoy cautiously informed her, carefully watching his patient for any signs of distress or resistance. Her eyes widened in shock, but she made no move to try to escape or threaten the doctor and his staff. Once again, she removed her respiratory mask so she could speak.

"What… about the others…?" She asked, furrowing her brow slightly with concern. "Where's… Khan?" McCoy's jaw tensed slightly at her last question, and he turned his gaze towards the windows of the observation room, where Kirk and Spock were waiting and watching the doctor work on his potentially dangerous patient, just in case the good doctor should require some backup.

"Actually, Miss Dempsey… That's something we were rather hoping you could help us with." McCoy replied honestly, deciding he may as well start filling her in on what she'd missed so far. After all, she couldn't leave the sterile room or have any other outside visitors until he was sure she had been properly inoculated against any modern diseases that might have cropped up since she went into cryo. It would be a shame if they had managed to successfully revive the poor girl only to have her die from some infection.

—∞—

**Meanwhile, on Rigel XII**,  
**in the Alpha Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy,**  
**approximately 773 light-years away from Earth…**

The mysterious redhead who had kidnapped Khan frowned in irritation when she found she could not get his cryotube to open. Someone had obviously changed the keycode. What a nuisance! Rather than waste more time trying to hack the digital code, she decided to take a more direct approach to freeing the sleeping augment. She removed her phaser from her belt, raised the setting, and fired it at the transparent aluminum lid of the cryotube, virtually disintegrating it. The cryotube's lights began to flash red in warning and a buzzer went off, alerting whoever might care that the tube had been damaged, and the health of its occupant could be in danger. But She wasn't worried. Even if his system received a temporary shock from an improper revival, she was confident that Khan's superior recuperative abilities would soon have him right as rain.

"Oh, _do _shut up." She drolly scolded the machine, kicking it out of annoyance. It was a good thing this planet was so sparsely populated. At least she didn't have to worry about any nosy neighbors hearing the noise and kicking up a fuss. Before she could draw her foot back, a strong, muscular hand shot out and seized her ankle in a tight grip. She almost winced, but kept her features carefully stoic as the infamous owner of said hand raised himself up into a sitting position. His posture was just as serious, sober, and austere as ever. He was perfect, as always. She smirked.

"Well, good morning to you, too." She greeted him calmly. "I'm glad to see you're awake, but is that any way to treat someone who just went to the trouble of saving you?"

"Ha! You, save me?" Khan asked cynically, though as he cast a look around at his surroundings, and saw that he was no longer at Starfleet Head Quarters, but inside a cave composed of some sort of sandstone, he realized there must be at least some truth to the bold statement. However, he doubted she had decided to free a 'criminal' such as himself simply out of a sense of solidarity. He didn't doubt for a second that she intended to make use of him to further her own goals. These _lesser_ humans were all the same. "… Who are you, and why would you help me?" Khan demanded, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion. "What's in it for you?"

"Just a fan. You may not know me, but I know you." She replied coyly. Her supple lips curved into a sly smirk. "I know you want revenge for the deaths of your crew, and I need a distraction while I take care of some business elsewhere. So I thought perhaps, just maybe… we could help each other out?"

Khan was silent for brief moment as he though it over. There was nothing left for him in this world now that his entire crew and family had been so cruelly slaughtered and taken away from him. Nothing except vengeance. And he would have it. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock would be begging for death themselves before he was through with them! Khan didn't know what this woman was up to, and, quite frankly, he didn't care. All that mattered to him now was settling his vendetta, to slate the burning rage and profound sense of loss that was threatening to consume him. There was a wicked gleam in his smoldering eyes as they met her icy baby blues.

"This distraction… what exactly did you have in mind?" he asked, smirking deviously.


	3. All Aboard

I own nothing but my OC.

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**Previously:**

_"How long? Have you been sleeping, you mean?" He asked, furrowing his brow slightly as he replaced the mask over her mouth, not wanting to take any chances. Prima nodded. "The year is 2259… You've been asleep for almost 300 years." McCoy cautiously informed her, carefully watching his patient for any signs of distress or resistance. Her eyes widened in shock, but she made no move to try to escape or threaten the doctor and his staff. Once again, she removed her respiratory mask so she could speak._

_"What… about the others…?" She asked, furrowing her brow slightly with concern. "Where's… Khan?" McCoy's jaw tensed slightly at her last question, and he turned his gaze towards the windows of the observation room, where Kirk and Spock were waiting and watching the doctor work on his potentially dangerous patient, just in case the good doctor should require some backup._

_"Actually, Miss Dempsey… That's something we were rather hoping you could help us with." McCoy replied honestly, deciding he may as well start filling her in on what she'd missed so far. After all, she couldn't leave the sterile room or have any other outside visitors until he was sure she had been properly inoculated against any modern diseases that might have cropped up since she went into cryo. It would be a shame if they had managed to successfully revive the poor girl only to have her die from some infection._

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**_[[Chapter 2: All Aboard]]_**

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"So, in other words… you guys woke me up because you want me to help you catch Khan?" Prima asked, sighing and shaking her head in disappointment after McCoy finished brining her up to date. Always causing trouble, that one. She leaves him alone for one year, and he what does he do? Become a terrorist. Well, at least her voice was starting to return to normal after sipping some water and conversing a little more with her new doctor. "Alright. What did he do this time?"

"Nothing, yet." McCoy replied as he pressed the hypospray to her arm and administered the next round of vaccines and antiviruses necessary for safe space travel. "But we'd like to avoid a repeat of last time."

"Yeah, I'm sure you would…" She said sympathetically, smiling wryly. Although she could also sympathize with Khan for wanting to protect the other augments, whom she knew he considered 'family', she was also fairly certain there were better ways he could have gone about it. He tended to overreact whenever he felt threatened, and he was such a proud man, that she was actually impressed he had managed to hold out and behave himself for an entire year while that admiral used him like that. "Where is Khan now? Do you have a fixed location on him yet?" She asked.

"I wasn't told too many of the specifics for this mission when I was called in earlier." McCoy told her. "I've already told you everything I know. For everything else, you're going to have to ask the captain and Mr. Spock."

"Um, you said there were seventy-two crew members left aside from Khan and myself, right?" Prima asked tentatively. "Is it all right if I see them? I just want to take a quick look to check on them."

"I'm afraid we don't really have time for that, since they're over in London, but you'll be able to see them on film if you review the security footage of the incident." McCoy said, smiling wryly. It was strange. Even though she was clearly a genetically enhanced augment like Khan, they didn't seem to be all that similar personality-wise. He had been expecting Prima Dempsey to be just as arrogant and proud as Khan, but it felt more like he was talking to a normal human. The air about her much more casual and accessible than the strict and rigid bearing of her contemporary had ever been. She was practically the girl next door by comparison. She even had an American accent.

"Oh, I see. Well, I guess that's the next best thing... I was planning to review the security tapes anyway." She conceded, though she couldn't help but look and feel a little disappointed. "I'd also like to see whatever information you have on Khan, and what kinds of projects he was working on. I'm sure I have a lot of catching up to do on the technological advances of this world, and engineering isn't my specialty, but… If I want to stand a chance at catching Khan, then I'll need to know what _he_ knows in order to anticipate his next movement. I know how he generally thinks, but this is a brave new world for me, and he's already got a full year's head start on understanding it."

BZZT.

"—Bones. Can we come in yet?" Kirk asked using the intercom that connected the two rooms. He and Spock could see and hear everything going on in the operating room, but McCoy and the others couldn't hear them without using the intercom. "I'd like to have a word with Miss Dempsey."

"Who's that?" Prima asked curiously while McCoy did another pass over her with the advanced medical scanner to make sure everything was in order before responding.

"That would be the captain." McCoy informed her as he stepped over to his end of the intercom and pressed the button. "Alright, Jim. You can come in, now. The vaccines and so on should have taken effect by now." He reported.

_WOOSH_.

"Oh. I see you have the 'wushing' doors here. Fun stuff." Prima commented as the doors at the far end of the room slid open automatically to admit Kirk and Spock. McCoy raised an eyebrow. Oh, yeah. This girl was definitely different.

"So, how's our sleeping beauty?" Kirk asked good-naturedly as he and Spock approached her. He figured it wouldn't hurt to make a good first impression if they were going to be working together, and she was actually very pretty. Her chocolate brown hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders in loose curls. A few stray wisps of hair softly framed her face beautiful face. The hospital gown was baggy on her petite and slender frame, but her looked long and shapely despite her size. Despite centuries of being packed inside that cryotube like a frozen sardine, her skin still appeared sunkissed and had a healthy glow, and her rosy lips looked soft and kissable. Her hazel eyes were bright and warm, the complete opposite of Khan's cold and calculating glasz orbs. The was something a bit wild and playful, yet inherently graceful about Primavera Dempsey, like a running gazelle. He probably shouldn't have been surprised by that, though. After all, she was a product of genetic engineering, so it only made sense that the scientists would have selected genes that would make her look physically appealing as well. For one thing, according to the data Marcus had assembled in her, The two of them were supposed to be about the same age, but she looked younger, around twenty to twenty-two years-old. Either way, she had to be at least eight to ten years younger than Khan… just how many augments did those scientists really make?

"Just fine, thanks." Prima replied casually, smiling wryly in amusement. "I take it you gentlemen are the Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock that I've just heard so much about?" She asked, holding out her hand to shake his. 'Sleeping beauty', huh? She kind of liked that…

"Yep, that's us." Kirk said, flashing her a winning smile, as he accepted her hand and shook it. Her grip was firm but gentle. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dempsey."

"Likewise, Captain Kirk." She replied, smiling politely. Somehow, she got the impression he had spent quite some time practicing that grin of his in front of a mirror... He reminded her of someone, too. Someone familiar…

"She's better than fine, actually. She's healthier than a Rigellian ox." McCoy cut in, glancing between the two of them, while Spock raised an eyebrow. They hadn't expected their captain to take to her so quickly, given how he felt about Khan, but then again, she was a pretty a girl… On second thought, it wasn't that surprising at all.

"A what?" Prima asked, furrowing her brow slightly. And then she noticed Spock's ears as he stepped forward to explain. So, this was a Vulcan… he kind of looked like one of the elf lords described in that series of Tolkien books she read way back, only his hair was much shorter.

"A Rigellian ox. It is a creature, native to the Rigel system, which settlers often use as beasts of burden, in much the same manner as how oxen on Earth were once used." Spock clarified upon noticing her confusion.

"So, it's an alien animal?" Prima asked, raising an eyebrow. She had a feeling that might be the case. They must be even sturdier than earth oxen if they had actually come to replace them in that old proverb.

"Yes, and, coincidentally, our destination is actually a neighbor to its home world. If calculations are correct, Khan should be on the planet Rigel XII." Spock informed her and McCoy.

"Rigel XII? What does Khan want with a mining planet like that?" McCoy asked, furrowing his brow. "The environment's so harsh, practically the entire surface of the planet is covered in desert. Water is scarce, and only people who live on that planet are Childress and the other lithium miners we met during that incident with Mudd."

"And his wife, Eve." Kirk reminded him. She was still there. He wasn't sure about the other two women, though.

"Are you sure? That doesn't sound like a place Khan would choose, unless he actually needed lithium for something…" Prima said thoughtfully. "From what I understand… even though Kronos was a hellhole, it had the merit of supposedly being out of bounds for you guys, right? But from the sound of things, the same can't be said for Rigel XII. Deserts can make excellent hiding places if you know where to look, but even someone who knows the land can get lost and die from heatstroke and lack of water if they aren't careful. He would have to stay relatively close to steady supply of water and find shelter from the oppressive heat during the day. Deserts also tend to be freezing at night, so a cave would be best, since it should be cooler during the day and warmer at night…"

"A perfectly logical assumption, assuming Khan is still on the planet." Spock agreed.

"Not to mention the fact that it would shield him from those nasty magnetic sandstorms that tend to pop up so frequently." Kirk said, nodding. "Well, at any rate, it's a place to start, and once we get closer to the planet, we should be able to use the signal from the tracking beacon on Khan's cryotube to locate him more precisely."

"Captain... What exactly do you intend to do with Khan, once you catch him?" Prima finally asked, biting her lip. Kirk glanced at her and noted the serious look in her eyes. He could tell that she was deeply concerned about what his answer might be, though, for a moment, he wasn't sure whether it was because she was worried about stopping Khan, or if it was something else…

"… I don't know. We still haven't put him on trial yet." He answered carefully, waiting to see how she would react. "Why?"

"… If you can guarantee to me that he won't be given the death penalty, Captain, then I promise that I will do _everything _within my power to help you stop Khan and bring him safely back to Earth." She stated gravely. "I agree he needs to be stopped, but I won't be party to a death sentence." The three men stared at her, somewhat taken aback.

"Aren't you two supposed to be archenemies or something?" Kirk asked. He had been starting to think that maybe she had been taken onboard the ship as a prisoner or something, but now… he wasn't so sure.

"Well, perhaps in his mind… but It's not like I completely hate him, either. He was taking things too far, so I stopped him. That's all." She said simply. "Truth be told, I'm probably the closest thing he has to a friend."

"If that's true, then why _did_ you side with the normal humans?" Kirk asked, curious as to why she would choose strangers over the 'family' Khan had fought so violently to defend.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Prima asked, frowning slightly. "What's wrong is wrong, and besides… my parents were normal humans. You think I'd just turn my back on them?"

"I assume you mean the scientists who created you, correct?" Spock inquired. He found it somewhat interesting that she had formed such a strong attachment to them that she would refer to them as parents and risk her life to help them, as Khan would have undoubtedly killed her if he knew beforehand that she had intended to betray him.

"Um, no. I mean my _parents_, as in my biological mother and father." She corrected him pointedly. "I'm not like the other augments, who were all test-tube babies mixed up in a lab underneath a microscope. My parents made me the old-fashioned way."

"Wait, then how are you a genetically enhanced human?" McCoy asked, feeling just as confused as the others undoubtedly felt, despite Spock's pokerface.

"Well, I guess you could say I'm like the 'Captain America' version of an augment. My parents didn't intend to specifically breed me to genetically perfect or anything, I was their child. They just enhanced what was already there. You see, even with the 'modern medicine' of the time, my mother had already lost two babies before me, and they couldn't bear to lose one more, so they took a risk. My father was somehow able to use a blood sample from Khan to develop a special serum that utilized his natural healing ability... It was only supposed to keep me alive, but then it ended up turning me into another enhanced baby by accident…" She explained, smiling wryly. She figured she might as well come clean with them and get it out of the way now. If you want someone to trust you, first you have to show that you're willing to trust them, right? "To this day, we still aren't sure why, but it might have something to do with the same reason why young stem cells can be used to mimic and grow tissue from other parts of the body, like skin and livers and so on… I guess as I developed in my mother's womb, my cells copied the format of Khan's, and voilà, superbaby!"

"So… you share DNA with Khan…?" Kirk asked, suddenly turned off to the extreme.

"The genetic makeup of our DNA structures is similar, but I'm not his clone or anything, if that's what you're asking. We don't even share enough alleles in common to be considered cousins. I am 100% my father's daughter." She stated confidently, crossing her arms. It was pretty clear that anyone who tried to say otherwise was going to get popped in the face.

"That is strange…" McCoy said thoughtfully. From a medical standpoint, at least. On the other hand, it was something of a relief to know they didn't just wake up the devil's own sister.

"How very strange… and most illogical." Spock mused, wondering how such a thing could even be possible.

"I'm not strange. I'm limited edition." Prima retorted smartly, raising her head proudly.

Kirk and McCoy smirked, amused by her comeback. They couldn't help but like this girl. She wasn't so bad for an augment, so far.

"Well, anyway, Starfleet, as an organization, doesn't believe in the death penalty, so I don't think you have anything to worry about… but you should also know that I intend to do my best to make sure Khan pays for what he did." Kirk told her, getting serious again. "I'm not going to let him get off easy after what he did." While he wasn't as keen to kill Khan with his bare hands as he might have been right after the attack on the Daystrom Room that took the life of his mentor, he was definitely still determined to make Khan pay for his actions and see that justice was served, for Captain Pike.

"… I understand." Prima said calmly after a moment, looking him straight in the eye. She could see Kirk was telling the truth about wanting to punish Khan, but she could also see that this decision was being fueled by a righteous fury, not one of murderous intent. This young captain, for all his flirting, was an honorable man. She could trust him. "Alright. You can count on me. I'll help you catch Khan." She promised seriously. Kirk smiled, feeling somewhat relieved that she had understood.

"Thank you, Miss Dempsey. We should probably get going and let you change into something more practical." Kirk said before turning to Bones. "We have to meet up with Captain Harris soon. The _Excalibur_ is our ride to Rigel XII." He informed the doctor, knowing he would most likely be accompanying his new patient so he could keep monitoring her health. After all, augment or not, it wouldn't be good for her to be running around unsupervised so soon after being frozen for 300 years.

"Oh, joy." Bones deadpanned sarcastically. They were going into space. _Again._

—∞—

"Are you alright, Doc?" Prima asked once they had all settled into their seats aboard the shuttle that was escorting them to the space dock, where they would be boarding the _Excalibur._ It was just her, Dr. McCoy, Captain Kirk, and Mr. Spock onboard, plus a few crewmembers who were returning from shore leave on Earth. "You seem a little nervous." She said, lowering the PADD they had given her so she could start reading up on Khan and his work in more detail.

"Oh, don't mind Bones. He just has a thing about space." Kirk said, smirking teasingly at his friend. McCoy narrowed his eyes slightly in annoyance, glowering back at his smartass captain.

"Oh, you have claustrophobia or something? Do you need us to give you more space?" She asked the doctor, concerned. Did he need a paper bag? … Did they even use paper bags anymore? McCoy glanced at her. He was a little surprised, but he was glad at least _someone_ had bothered to show concern for his wellbeing. It seemed they could confirm that their new friend had a healthy sense of empathy…

"The 'space' to which the captain was referring, was outer space. Dr. McCoy suffers from a peculiar case of astrophobia." Spock explained calmly, though Prima had the distinct feeling he was doing the Vulcan equivalent of an 'LOL' on the inside. It was pretty laughable, when you thought about it.

"You have a phobia of outer space… so you decided to work for organization that operates primarily in space?" Prima asked skeptically as she turned back to the doctor, raising an eyebrow at him.

"For your information," McCoy began agitatedly, addressing Prima, but also shooting some sharp looks at the other two men to let them know what was coming next was directed at them too, "I do _not _have an irrational fear of space. I have aviaphobia—an irrational fear of dying in something that flies. My _reluctance_ to shoot off into space happens to be very rational. For instance, one tiny crack in the hull, and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. A solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait till you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles. See if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence."

"…" Prima said, staring at him, stunned. "Damn. Is it too late to get off this crazy ride, because I think _I _might have astrophobia, now…" She said, chagrined, as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up. "If you need me, I'll be hyperventilating in the bathroom."

"Oh, you hear that, Bones? Good job. You just managed to scare off our tank." Kirk remarked saucily as they watched her walk off, taking deep, calming breaths. Well, at least the view was nice…

"What? It's true." McCoy said defensively, shrugging.

"Yes, I believe that was the reason Miss Dempsey felt the need to hyperventilate." Spock replied drolly.

"By the way, is Uhura really okay about you coming with?" Kirk asked Spock curiously. " 'Cause frankly, I'm surprised she didn't request permission to come with us. You guys aren't fighting again, are you?"

"No, we are not fighting." Spock replied calmly, wondering why Kirk seemed to find the idea so amusing. "And she did not request permission to accompany us on this mission, because I did not tell her about it. As there will already be a communications officer onboard the _Excalibur,_ I did not see a need for her to accompany us. I felt informing her would simply put her in unnecessary danger."

"… Oooh, you are gonna be in _so_ much trouble when she eventually finds out." Kirk said, wincing sympathetically, and only half joking. However, he couldn't help the mischievous twinkle that crept into his eyes when he thought of how Uhura was going to rip his stoic friend a new one for leaving her out.

"Captain, perhaps I should point out, that you, too, neglected to inform Lieutenant Uhura of our orders?" Spock reminded him, raising a pointed eyebrow. Though he would never admit it, Spock felt a slight tinge of amused satisfaction as he watched the color drain from the face of his friend and captain.

"We… _are so screwed_." Kirk said gravely.

_"Why?"_ Prima asked warily, freezing abruptly, before she could reclaim her seat. It would seem she had recovered from her little scare faster than anticipated. Just one of the many benefits of having such an ADD mind.

"Oh, don't worry. Not us, just them." McCoy reassured her, motioning to the two dead men walking. "We're fine."

"Wow. Thanks, Bones." Kirk deadpanned, looking uncharacteristically. sullen. "Your sympathy is overwhelming."

"O…kay…" Prima said awkwardly, sitting down and rebuckling her seatbelt. Did she even want to know? "Anyway, I've been meaning to ask… why do they call you 'Bones'? Is it short for 'sawbones'?" She asked McCoy curiously.

"Actually," Kirk chimed in, suddenly perking up, "It's because when I first met him, he gave me a speech similar to the one he just gave you, and when I asked him why he would join Starfleet, he said it was because his ex-wife took the whole planet in the divorce, and all he had left was 'his bones'. Hence, Bones." He explained cheerfully, only too happy to have an opportunity to get a little revenge for McCoy's earlier barb.

"Ouch. That's harsh, dude." Prima said sympathetically, patting the poor doctor on the back.

"Thanks." McCoy replied glumly, shooting Kirk a look. Did he really _have_ to tell her? "But, why did you think it was short for 'sawbones'?" He asked her.

"Because that's what they used to call doctors in the days of the old west. It's like a professional nickname. It was still pretty heavily used back in the 20th century, at least while I was living in it."

"Really? Fascinating." Spock said. He wondered what other facts and details she might be able to tell them about that era in Earth's history. After all, the historical records of that time period were somewhat fragmented, due in part, to the very eugenics war that Khan and the other genetically enhanced humans were said to have been involved in. Perhaps Miss Dempsey could shed more light on those dark and turbulent times…

"—This is your captain speaking. We are cleared for takeoff." A feminine voice announced over the shuttle's intercom as the ship began to hum and shake as the engines whirred to life, and they began to lift off.

"This reminds of an old roller-coaster ride I went on once… I was a bit too short and skinny, so I almost fell out the car…" Prima said, almost wishing she had a sturdy handlebar to hold onto this time as well after having heard all of the delightful things that could possibly go wrong from Dr. McCoy. "Any tips for coping, Doc? Should I close my eyes, or would that just make it worse?" She asked half-jokingly.

"No, you're gonna want to keep your eyes open for this, trust me." McCoy told her, smiling wryly. "It's quite a view." He said, motioning for her to look out the window.

"Whoooa…" Prima gasped in amazement as she stared out the window, admiring the view. Since she had already entered cryostasis before the _SS Botany Bay _took off from Earth all those centuries ago, this was her first time actually witnessing the ascent into space through the Earth's atmosphere with her own eyes… _It was spectacular!_! She watched with a childlike sense of wonder as they flew into the starry black of space and approached Starbase 1, the space station where _Excalibur _was awaiting them. In fact, as they glided smoothly between the massive starships docked there, they happened to pass directly over the Constitution-class starship, giving her a glimpse of its full name and number—_USS Excalibur NCC-1664_— before swooping down and entering the ship's shuttle bay.

"So, how was your first time boarding a Federation starship?" Kirk asked her as they waited for the green light to exit the shuttle and join the rest of the crew already aboard. They were right on schedule to meet Captain Harrison.

"That. Was. _Awesome_!" Prima gushed excitedly, throwing her hands up in the air. She looked like a kid in a candy store. "Let's go again!"

"Another time, perhaps...?" Spock said, feeling somewhat perplexed to see such a display of childish innocence coming from a genetically enhanced augment. It was a bit difficult to take her seriously when she wasn't even acting her age. Was she really this different from the cunning and manipulative Khan, or was it all just an act to make them lower their guard…?


	4. Hidden Memories

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"So, how was your first time boarding a Federation starship?" Kirk asked her as they waited for the green light to exit the shuttle and join the rest of the crew already aboard. They were right on schedule to meet Captain Harrison._

_"That. Was. Awesome!" Prima gushed excitedly, throwing her hands up in the air. She looked like a kid in a candy store. "Let's go again!"_

_"Another time, perhaps...?" Spock said, feeling somewhat perplexed to see such a display of childish innocence coming from a genetically enhanced augment. It was a bit difficult to take her seriously when she wasn't even acting her age. Was she really this different from the cunning and manipulative Khan, or was it all just an act to make them lower their guard…?_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 3: Hidden Memories]]**_

* * *

**Onboard the ****_USS Excalibur_**

"Wow…" Prima commented, glancing around, as they made their way through the ship to the bridge, impressed. They were being escorted by two red-shirted security guards. "Are all starships like this? It's like something out of a big-budget sci-fi movie…"

"Says the girl who's been floating around space inside a cryotube for the last 300 years…" McCoy muttered, finding her comment on the situation more than a little ironic.

"Meh. It's okay. You should see the _Enterprise_." Kirk said, shrugging before grinning proudly. He couldn't wait to get his own ship back once this was over and its repairs were complete.

"Welcome aboard, Captain Kirk." Captain Harris greeted the young starship captain as the four visitors joined him on the bridge. Harris was a middle-aged man with dark skin and peppery hair, but he was appeared to be in good shape for a man of his age. He had to be, as a captain of a major starship. "Mr. Spock. Dr. McCoy." He said, nodding politely at each man in turn. "And this is…?" Harris asked, eyeing Prima with thinly veiled curiosity and surprise. She was not at all what he had been expecting when Starfleet told him Kirk would be bringing in some outside help... She practically looked like a fresh-faced cadet straight out of the academy!

"Yes. This is Miss Dempsey." Kirk responded dutifully, introducing her with a small smile. "She'll be assisting us with recapturing Khan."

"Captain Harris." Prima said respectfully, nodding at the older man in acknowledgement. He struck her as being more of the straight-laced military man variety, so it would probably be best if she didn't goof around too much in front of him, not that she wasn't taking this mission seriously. After all, dealing with a pissed off Khan was more dangerous than trying to skydive out of a plane, without a parachute, into a tank of alligators, crocodiles, and piranhas, while wearing a meat-suit with a suicide bomb strapped to your chest. All they had to do was make one wrong move, and they would discover several abundantly different and painful ways to die… But enough about that. There was no point in worrying about it now. Wasting time worrying when nothing had even happened yet would be pointless, like walking around with an umbrella, waiting for it to rain.

"I see. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dempsey." Harris greeted her politely, though he wasn't too sure about this kid. Kirk was one thing, he had at least proved himself in the line of duty, but this girl was a complete unknown. Harris didn't quite know what to make of her. "Is there anything we can do for you, Captain?" He asked Kirk.

"No, thank you. But I'd be grateful if you could get us to Rigel XII as quickly as possible." Kirk replied, getting down to business.

"Very well. I've already ordered my engineers to make speed their top priority. We should be there within the next hour or so." Harris said, smirking. The _Excalibur _might not be as new and flashy as the _Enterprise_, but she wouldn't loose to anyone when it came to speed. They had wasted enough time already. The game was afoot!

—∞—

**Meanwhile, on Rigel XII…**

"Just as planned. It's been confirmed." Khan's mysterious savior announced, snapping shut her communicator. "Starfleet is sending both Kirk and Spock after you, but since the _Enterprise_ is still out of commission at the moment, they will be arriving on another ship, the _Excalibur_. It doesn't quite have all of the same bells and whistles as the _Enterprise_, but it is a Constitution-class ship. They should arrive in a couple of hours. Now that I've finished up my business here…" She said, patting the carrier containing the blood samples he had let her take. "… I have a few preparations I must take care of elsewhere. Is there anything you need before I go? Weapons? Phasers?"

"No… I want to do _this_ with my bare hands." Khan stated ominously, his expression darkening even more. "I have a feeling it will be much more satisfying that way…"

"Well, all right." She said, shrugging. To each his own. Personally, she preferred not to get her hands dirty. It tended to ruin one's manicure. "Suit yourself. If you need me, I will be in space." She added carelessly, sauntering out of the dark cave they had been using to take shelter from the oppressive desert sun.

Once she was gone, Khan leaned his head back against the cool cave wall before removing a certain item from his pocket. It was an old, faded photograph of a little brunette girl, a beautiful brunette woman, and a blonde man. It was the only one that had managed to survive their three-hundred-year-long trip aboard the _SS Botany Bay_, because its original owner had had it laminated to protect the precious image from being damaged while being carried around inside their wallet years ago. Though it had once belonged to another, it was his now, and it was one of his few surviving personal effects. It was hopelessly outdated, with all three of its occupants being deceased, but Khan couldn't bring himself to throw it away. It brought back memories of happier and simpler times from his childhood, particularly that moment when he first met _her_…

=Flashback=

**Somewhere in Northern India:  
The Chrysalis Project, [exact location top-secret]  
July of 1975**

Seeing as he had completed all of his upcoming coursework and homework assignments, Khan had thought he might spend some time relaxing in the Chrysalis botanical gardens with a good book, like a copy of Dante's classic , the _Divine Comedy,_ in the original medieval Italian text. Just as Khan was getting to the part about the seventh circle of hell, there was a rustling in the bushes to his left, and he found himself starring into a pair of wide, innocent and curious hazel eyes when a little curly-haired infant popped her head out of the bushes. For a moment he just stared at her, wondering what such a young augment was doing wandering around on her own, completely unsupervised. By all appearances, she couldn't be more than ten months old… unless she was a runt, which was known to happen on occasion. The Chrysalis scientists hadn't perfected the process of creating perfect, genetically enhanced humans as nearly as much as they liked to think. Mistakes, however seldom, were still made. The little girl blinked and tilted her head slightly to the side, as if she, too, were contemplating something. She was probably considering whether she should approach him or not. Khan turned away from her, deciding to just ignore her and return to his book. He doubted she would decide to approach him. The younger augments tended to shy away from Khan. They were wary of him, as though they had instinctively sensed the difference in power between the older augment and themselves, like lesser animals yielding right of way to the greater predator. She wouldn't dare to disturb him again, and someone would undoubtedly be along to collect her as soon as they realized she had gone missing from the pack. As long as she wasn't breaking anything, he didn't really care what she did. However, to Khan's surprise and chagrin, his reading was once again interrupted when her tiny hand suddenly thrust a flower in his face.

"Present~!" She declared cheerfully, grinning brightly as she continued to hold out the flower she had plucked from her previous hiding place, apparently expecting him to take it from her. Once again, Khan stared at her, debating whether or not he should risk disappointing the child or just accept the flower and get it over with. She didn't look like she was going to give up anytime soon, and an awkward silence was beginning to settle in on them… decided to graciously accept her childish gift. She blushed a little and giggled with delight as she clapped her now empty hands, clearly pleased with this turn of events. Khan raised an eyebrow. For some reason, he felt as though he had become the participant of some sort of tribal ritual. Playing along may have been a mistake, because this proved to only encourage her forward behavior.

"Yay! Play! Play!" She exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down. It seemed she now viewed him as a playmate. Accepting a flower was one thing, but Khan felt he had humored the younger girl more than enough already. He wasn't in the mood to play any childish games. He was far too old for that, and he wanted to finish his book. Khan shut the _Divine Comedy_ and promptly stood up, preparing to leave.

"Nooo!" The little girl let out a cry of protest, dismayed that her new friend was now ignoring her. "Play!" She insisted, pouting slightly, as she reached her little arms up to him, clearly wishing to be picked up and held.

"No." Khan said firmly. He was many things, but he was _not_ a babysitter. Besides, he had an image to maintain. He turned his back on her and began to walk away, but she was not content to give up so easily.

"Ngh!" She whined in frustration as she began toddling unsteadily after the older boy, trying to keep up with his larger strides. Khan stopped and glanced back at the small child over his shoulder, giving her a sharp look of disapproval. Not only did she not seem to understand the word 'no', but her motor skills left much to be desired. She had to be a runt. If she were a proper augment, then she would be able to walk properly by now. It was quite clear from her movements that she was still more used to crawling. That was probably how she had gotten into the bush in the first place.

_"Stay."_ He commanded, as if she were a dog. If only she had half of one's level of obedience! His tiny stalker simply frowned as she struggled to continue forward. Khan sighed in annoyance and turned back around on his heel, giving up on trying to make her understand. Instead, he decided to increase his walking speed, leaving her in his dust. Maybe she would finally take the hint if he just ignored her.

"Oomph!" Her little voice grunted suddenly, just as an ominous thud was heard behind him.

Khan stopped abruptly and glanced back at her. Just as he had suspected, his clumsy little shadow had tripped and fallen. In fact, she had landed in a perfect face-plant. She really did have a terrible sense of balance for an augment her age. This was a scene he had witnessed plenty of times before while observing the younger augments first learning to walk, but it was extremely rare for them to still need assistance toddling from one place to another at this stage. He thought she would cry like all the others, however, she ended up surprising him when she instead pushed herself back up into a sitting position and beamed a sunny smile up at him. Khan was taken aback by such anomalous behavior. Why was she smiling after taking a fall like that? Even if augments healed quickly, they still felt pain. What on earth could she be so happy about? Was she brain-damaged? That would certainly explain why she was so slow physically…

"Play!" She exclaimed happily, launching herself at him and grabbing ahold of his hand. She grinned up triumphantly at the older boy, believing she had finally succeeded in catching him. Khan could have easily pulled free from her, of course, but he found himself strangely reluctant to do so. Even though Khan had observed the younger children from afar before, he had never actually held one before, because he knew they were supposed to be more fragile, and it wouldn't do if he accidentally damaged one because he used too much force when handling them. As a result, the sensation of her tiny, soft hands on his was a new and unexpected experience for him. Even though he was only a child himself, it took both of her small hands to completely encompass just one of his own. He could feel her little pulse through her fingertips, gently fluttering, like a butterfly. It suddenly struck him just how vulnerable and delicate this little girl before him really was. It would be irresponsible of him to abandon her now. Especially since she seemed to possess zero sense of self-preservation, judging by the way she had so dauntlessly approached him and then continuously defied his orders without the slightest bit of hesitation… She was bound to get herself into some sort of trouble if left her on her own. This girl clearly needed adult supervision.

"I won't play with you," He told her as he carefully picked her up, holding her securely and protectively in his arms, "but I'll help you find someone who will." He promised, though he wasn't sure how much of it she actually understood, since she just continued to smile and giggle away carelessly, blissfully ignorant to just how easily the older boy could crush her, if so desired.

"Oh, Khan." A familiar feminine voice called out to him. Khan turned to face the woman, feeling oddly relieved to see the resident child psychologist for once. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect.

"Dr. Dempsey." He acknowledged her, nodding his head in greeting. "I just found this child—" He began to explain, only to be cut off midsentence.

"—Primavera! So this is were you were!" The older woman exclaimed when she spotted the little girl. "Thank you, Khan. I've been looking everywhere for this little imp!"

"You have?" Khan asked, a little surprised. Why would a psychologist of all people be looking for this girl? Had she escaped from a therapy session? But this child, 'Primavera', was obviously too young for that sort of thing…

"I'd better let Jack know the good news." Dr. Dempsey said, pulling out one of the standard-issue walkie-talkies all the adults carried around for communication within the underground complex and proceeded to contact the doctor.

Khan raised an eyebrow. Of course. It would make much more sense if her husband, the other Dr. Dempsey, was the one that Primavera was supposed to be with. She must have had an appointment with the pediatrician. Even though the enhanced humans healed quickly on their own and rarely became ill, the young augments were still required to see him for regular check-ups.

"Do you copy, Jack? I've found Prima. Over." Dr. Francesca Dempsey announced into the walkie-talkie.

"Really_!_? You have_!_?" Her husband's voice asked urgently over the electronic device. "Where was she?"

"In the botanical garden with Khan. You should see it. He's the very picture of a responsible big brother, the way he's holding her so protectively." Francesca replied, smirking knowingly at the boy, while he scowled at her in annoyance. This was why Khan didn't like her. She was always teasing him. He would never understand why his 'mother', the head scientist at Chrysalis, had selected a woman like her to work on this project.

"Oh, don't be so shy, Khan." Francesca chided him lightly after seeing the displeased look on his face. "Don't you know why older siblings are born first? It's so that they can protect the little ones that follow." To be honest, she was glad to see the normally aloof boy actually interacting with another child outside of the required social activities.

"Do _not_ patronize me." Khan said sternly, frowning with displeasure. "I only picked her up because she's too clumsy to leave on her own. She can't even take more than twenty steps on her own yet."

"Well, of course she can't. She's only twelve months old. She just has advanced language skills and social development. It's perfectly normal for regular human babies to still require some assistance with walking at this stage in their development." Francesca explained calmly, realizing this was probably Khan's first time actually meeting a normal human child in person, since the other children there were all genetically enhanced augments, like himself.

"What?" Khan asked, furrowing his brow slightly in confusion. Did she mean to say…? He glanced down at the happy little girl in his arms. "You mean… this child has not been genetically enhanced?"

"Of course not! She's my daughter." Francesca revealed, smiling proudly.

"Your daughter?" Khan said, raising an eyebrow. That's right, he remembered hearing the Dempseys had finally managed to have a healthy child of their own, but he had put it out of his mind since it had nearly been a year… But if that was the case, then what was Primavera doing here at Chrysalis? Although none of the adults ever said as much out loud in front of him or the other children, Khan had gathered enough information on his own to know that the underground compound was supposed to be kept a closely guarded secret amongst those that worked there. Did his mother know about this? "Why would you risk bringing her here?" He asked.

"Risk?" Francesca asked, laughing. "Khan, Primavera is only a year old. Who is she going to tell? She only knows about 10 words." Her daughter was intelligent for her age, but she wasn't _that_ extreme of a genius. "Anyway, it couldn't be helped. We usually leave her with Chandra, the nanny, but she requested time off to care for a sick relative." Francesca explained. "Since it was short notice, we had to take Primavera in with us today. I thought is would be okay since I had her on a child's leash, but she managed to wiggle out of the harness somehow when I wasn't looking... come to think of it, she escaped from her crib and playpen the other day, as well. She's turning into a tiny Houdini."

"You keep your child on a leash?" Khan asked dubiously, feeling somewhat appalled on behalf of the little girl in his arms. What kind of parent treats their child like a dog? He didn't think Jack Dempsey was the type of man to go along with something of that nature.

"If we didn't, then she would just keep running away." Francesca stated matter-of-factly. "She's too curious and precocious. She has to investigate and touch everything she sees, so she's constantly trying to wander off on us. She's cute because she looks just like me, so I'm worried someone might try to kidnap her and take her home with them."

"If her personality was anything like yours, they would bring her back immediately." Khan deadpanned.

"For your sake, I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Francesca stated dryly, slightly chagrined. Not like she could really do anything to Khan. He was Dr. Kaur's pet project. "Alright, sweetie, let's go. Come to Mama." She cooed sweetly, expecting her daughter to dive right into her open arms.

"Mine." Prima said simply, cuddling closer to Khan. Khan raised an eyebrow. And just when exactly did that happen? Little Primavera certainly was ambitious, trying to stake a claim on someone like _him_. Well, he couldn't exactly blame her for her excellent taste in people. He wouldn't want to return to an absurd mother like that, either.

"Oh-ho? I see. She _really_ likes you, doesn't she?" Francesca said, smiling wryly and looking slightly chagrined at her daughter's betrayal. "Come on, Prima. I know you want to stay with your new friend, but it's time to go.

"Mine!" Prima protested stubbornly, latching onto the older boy, when her mother tried to pull her away.

"Haha. Careful, Prima. If your father hears that, he'll cry. You're not supposed to abandon him for another guy for at least another decade or so."

"Just what have you been teaching that child?" Khan asked, suddenly feeling sorry Jack Dempsey, knowing he had to constantly put up with these two strange females. "And aren't you being a bit too rough?" He questioned Francesca as she continued to try to pry her child off of him. He wasn't even holding onto Prima anymore, but the little girl still refused to let go, clinging to his upper left arm.

"Don't worry, she's tougher than she looks." Francesca reassured him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think her hard little head was made of diamond. Well, since she's refusing to give up… I'll have to use my secret weapon. Primavera, honey… don't you want to go _shopping_ with Mama?"

"Shopping?" Little Prima asked excitedly, immediately whipping her head around to look at her mother, momentarily loosening her grip on the older boy.

"Aha! I've got you now, you little minx!" Francesca exclaimed triumphantly as she finally managed to yank Prima off of Khan, reeling her stubborn little girl into her own arms.

"Hah!" Prima gasped, looking positively mortified that she had made such a fatal error. "Mama mean!" She shouted indignantly, pointing an accusing finger at her grinning mother.

"Yes, Yes. I know. Mama is a terrible witch who is constantly tricking you." Francesca said patiently, smiling wryly at her pouting baby girl. "But for future reference, boys don't like it when you get too clingy like that." She advised Prima, tapping her gently on the nose with a finger.

"You say it like you expect her to understand." Khan observed, not seeing the point in carefully explaining anything to a girl who couldn't even follow the most simple of commands.

"She understands. This kid soaks everything up like a sponge. She just doesn't care." Francesca stated calmly. "Prima's too adventurous to sit still and wait around for something to happen. She's a classic Gemini, just like her mother."

"Should a scientist like yourself be deferring to such superstitions?" Khan asked dubiously.

"Why not? I think it's interesting. These stereotypes for behavior exist for a reason, you know. They can be surprisingly accurate. Take you for example, Khan. According to your birth date, you're an Aries—determined, born leader, impulsive, headstrong, opinionated, loyal, driven, ambitious—fits you to a 'T', doesn't it?" Francesca said, smiling knowingly at him. "Come to think of it, Aries and Gemini are supposed to be compatible signs... I wonder if that's why you and Prima get along so well?"

"Unlikely." Khan retorted dryly. It was a coincidence that she happened upon him while he was reading. What 'get along well'? They barely even knew each other.

"Hey! Sorry it took me so long to get here." Dr. Jack Dempsey called out as he jogged up to meet them. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

"Dada~!" Primavera squealed happily, obviously delighted to see her father. She reached her little hand out to him, as she had done earlier with Khan.

"And _you_… are in deep trouble, young lady." He told Primavera, bopping her gently on the nose, just as his wife had done. Prima just giggled and held her hands over her nose, as if to shield it from any further attacks. She seemed to think her parents' scoldings were some kind of game. "Thank you for watching her, Khan." Jack said gratefully, turning to face the boy. To be honest, he was surprised Khan had been able to put up with his rambunctious daughter for so long. At times, he seemed to barely even tolerate the augments who were his own age. "It's time to go home now, Prima, so say 'bye-bye' to Khan." He instructed her with a firmly but gentle finality.

"Mmmf…" Prima pouted moodily, still reluctant to part with her new friend. "… Bye-bye." She mumbled sadly, physically drooping slightly in defeat.

"Good girl." Jack said, smiling at his tiny daughter with approval. "Good bye, Khan. We'll see you tomorrow." He told the boy, giving him a little wave of farewell as they turned to leave. Khan watched as they walked away. Even though she had finally consented to leave with her parents, Prima still had her eyes on him, watching Khan from over her mother's shoulder.

"She only listens to you. She's such a daddy's girl." Francesca remarked, smiling wryly, as they walked away.

"That's because I don't play mind games with her, unlike a certain someone." Jack replied, smiling. "She knows you like to mess with her, so she has trouble taking you seriously."

Khan noticed Prima's mouth was moving, like she was struggling to form a word with her lips. It was so quiet, that neither of her parents caught it over the sound of their own conversation, but Khan's more sensitive ears, with enhanced hearing ability, caught it.

"—_Khan."_

=End Flashback=

"… Prima." Khan sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. When he met that tiny little girl so long ago, he had no idea what a huge impact she would have on his life… For a moment, he wondered how things might have turned out if she, too, had managed to survive their journey into the future…

* * *

Author's Note: I decided to start including scenes from Khan and Prima's past together to help shed some light on their relationship with each other. Please let me know what you think.


	5. A Rough Reunion

Author's note: If you like the fight scene, a lot of the moves were inspired by one in VerbaVolant's _Star Trek_ fic 'King's Pawn', so you might want to check it out. It's a great story.

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"… Prima." Khan sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. When he met that tiny little girl so long ago, he had no idea what a huge impact she would have on his life… For a moment, he wondered how things might have turned out if she, too, had managed to survive their journey into the future…_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 4: A Rough Reunion]]**_

* * *

"Will you put that damned thing down and focus more on chewing? You're going to give yourself indigestion." McCoy scolded Prima, frowning in disapproval. Despite being so talkative on their way up to the _Excalibur_, the moment they had finished with their tour of the ship, Prima had plopped herself down and glued her eyes to the screen of the PADD, doing her best to finish reading up on Khan's most recent exploits before they arrived at Rigel XII. She hadn't said a word since then, but after her empty stomach finally caught up to the rest of her, it had begun to complain so loudly, that she had to eat something, or the growling alone would have made any sort of sneak-attack impossible.

"But I'm almost done!" She protested, pouting unconsciously, as she slid over to the next page. She didn't mean to be so slow, but eating and reading at the same time had slowed her down. She wasn't quite as good at multi-tasking as Khan and most of the other augments. Things like that took more work on her part, but it was usually doable if she could make herself really focus and concentrate through her ADD.

"You mean the whole thing?" Kirk asked dubiously, raising an eyebrow. But they had included a lot of technical manuals in there to help her understand Khan's engineering diagrams! He knew she was supposed to be a genius, but come on. This was just ridiculous! On the other hand, he knew he probably shouldn't have been so surprised, seeing as she's actually beaten Khan before, and all… Although, he still wondered how she actually managed to pull it off…

"Well, I've probably only absorbed about 87% of the information itself, but I figured it would be better to speed read, since it would give me a broader view of the bigger picture, rather than taking time to focus on perfectly understanding each individual piece of data in here…" She explained, pausing to take a sip of water. "I've got about six pages left."

"No wonder. I feel like I can practically see smoke coming out of your ears!' McCoy exclaimed. The girl was going to make herself cross-eyed if she kept that up!

"Fascinating." Spock commented thoughtfully. It would seem her ability to absorb and retain information was on par with that of a Vulcan's.

"Haha. If you think that's good, you should see the others." Prima said, smiling wryly, already on the second-to-last page. "I was always 'the slow kid'."

"I do not understand. If you were the slowest one, then how is it that you were able to defeat Khan?" Spock asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I never said I was _the_ slowest, Mr. Spock. But even people with a high IQ tend to have some difficulty reading at a continually fast pace when they have ADD." She explained pointedly, glancing up at him briefly, before turning to the last page. She was a bit touchy about it, having been teased a lot in the past by the other 'special' children because of it.

"I see… That would explain much." Spock said, considering the behavior he had observed of her so far. A case of an adult attention deficit disorder, like ADHD-I, would explain a number of odd traits he had noticed in her… but then how could she read for such long, extended period of time with such focused concentration? From the expression on his face, Spock could tell Dr. McCoy was also thinking something along the same line.

"While I completely sympathize with you on that front, I find it hard to believe you could read like that if you truly suffered from an attention deficit disorder." McCoy said, voicing their suspicions.

"Yes. It took my mother a while to spot it, too, and she was professional children's psychologist." Prima said, nodding. She didn't bother to look up since she was finally on the last page. "At first, she thought it was just symptoms from my insomnia, but when that went away, and the symptoms persisted, she realized that couldn't be the only thing wrong with me. I was also diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disability, which is probably why I find math so irritating. It is my firm belief that Satan invented algebra. Who else would think to combine the alphabet with math? Anyway, my mom helped me learn methods to help me cope with my learning disabilities and how to maintain focus when I really needed to, though I admit, I still have a little trouble doing so, even as an adult, every now and then…" She explained as she finished the last sentence and finally set the PADD aside, just as the good doctor had requested.

McCoy and Spock nodded to themselves, understanding her a little bit better now. It was quite common for those afflicted with a non-verbal learning disability to have difficulties with subjects like math, not necessarily because they had a lower than average IQ in that area, but simply because there was such a large gap in value between the skills and mental abilities related to verbal IQ and the ones related to non-verbal IQ. It was making the jump between this awkward gap in abilities that threw the human brain through a loop, like trying to jump across the gap between the rooftops of two unequally tall skyscrapers. And because they could feel the difference in their abilities, it often frustrated the person being affected, but at the same time, if their average IQ was high enough, then their verbal IQ could help them make up for whatever deficiency they might have in other areas. This had made it difficult to diagnose such disorders in the past, based on performance alone, because to an outsider it would appear as though nothing were wrong as long as the person being affected could effectively compensate for their disability and still perform on at least a sufficiently average level. In fact, Prima had always gotten nearly straight A's as a child when she was attending a public school. It wasn't until her parents had begun to homeschool her, after her special abilities as an augment had become painfully obvious, that they picked up on the existence of their daughter's learning disabilities.

"Is it just me, or does she get weirder and weirder the longer we know her?" Kirk asked, smiling wryly, as he shook his head. Satan invented algebra? Not that he couldn't see where she was coming from, but _really_?

"Everyone seems normal until you get to know them." Prima pointed out calmly, shrugging. She decided to take that as a compliment. Normal was boring. "Besides, my dad used to say being normal was for people who lacked courage." She added, smiling fondly at the memory of him. The two of them had obviously been very close. "And what is 'normal' anyway? We're flying through space faster than the speed of light! Back in my day, young whippersnappers, that was supposed to be not only abnormal, but theoretically impossible." Like, 'break the universe' impossible.

"Hmm, true." McCoy agreed, thinking it over. Not to mention, she was technically supposed to be over 300 years-old, and she didn't look a day over 25, at most… Talk about 'aging gracefully'!

"An interesting philosophical point." Spock conceded.

"Wait, did you two just agree—" Kirk started to ask, when an whistle, followed by three clicking sounds, suddenly interrupted him.

"What's that?" Prima asked curiously, glancing at Kirk. It sounded like it had come from him.

"My communicator." Kirk said, taking it out and flipping it open. "Kirk, here."

"Kirk. This is Harris. We've reached Rigel XII and have already managed to locate and lock onto the signal for the Khan's tracking device." Captain Harris announced over the handheld communication device. "The cryotube is located in an area near a formation of cavernous mountains, roughly 200 klicks away from the lithium mines, but it's difficult to pinpoint the exact location because of the storm."

"Storm? You mean one of those magnetic sandstorms you guys mentioned before?" Prima asked.

"Probably. They tend to interfere with the transmission of signals between the planet surface and orbiting ships." Kirk answered her question before responding to Harris. "How bad is it?" he asked.

"It's not very large compared to the average storm-size for that area, but it's fierce and moving in fast." Harris replied. "I think we'd better wait until it passes before we beam down a landing party." Kirk was inclined to agree. The last sandstorm he experienced on the planet hadn't been very pleasant, and a woman almost died because she went out and got lost in it.

"No." Prima spoke up before he could respond. "Actually, this gives me an idea… and if we get the timing right, then we should be able to apprehend Khan using only three people."

"Three people?" Spock asked, intrigued.

"Yes, three people." Prima said, nodding. "Myself, Captain Kirk, and you, Mr. Spock. You two will be the bait, and I'll be the hook." She added, smirking slyly.

—∞—

**On the surface of Rigel XII,  
near the 'Whistling Mountains',**  
**134.5 miles from the lithium mines**

"Captain, I am still not sure I approve of this plan." Spock said, frowning slightly. While it was true Prima's plan stood a good chance of succeeding, Spock still felt that it left too much to chance. Should it fail, it would undoubtedly mean death for the captain and himself. It could very well be a trap. "Are you certain we can trust Miss Dempsey?"

"Isn't it a bit late to ask that now, Spock?" Kirk asked, giving his Vulcan friend a wry smile, before pulling his protective face mask in place as the wind picked up. Spock followed suit. "Her plan was the most efficient, and it'll result in the least amount of casualties if something goes wrong… At any rate, it makes sense to me. If I was Khan, I'd go after us too if I thought— Look, there it is!" He said abruptly when he spotted the open cryotube. It was already half-buried in the sand. "Someone's already opened it, but He must be nearby…" Prima had said Khan wouldn't go far if this happened, that he would most likely try to use the cryotube to draw out his pursuers…

"Captain… I'm regret to inform you that this cryotube has not been opened using conventional methods." Spock said upon further examination of the tube. "These scorch marks indicate that a phaser was used to disintegrate the its transparent aluminum lid. Even if we do catch Khan, this cryotube cannot be used to contain him."

"Shit, that means—" Kirk started, but he was cut off by a fierce, bloodcurdling war cry.

_"—AAARRRRGH!"_ Khan roared furiously as he suddenly rose up from beneath the sand at their feet, striking like giant, deadly king cobra. Kirk was sent flying before he even knew what hit him. Kirk's protective face mask cracked from the force of the landing.

"Captain!" Spock shouted urgently, concerned when his scrappy friend didn't get back up right away.

_WHAM!_

Spock stumbled a few steps in the sand before falling to his knees, dazed from the harsh blow Khan had just delivered to the back of his skull. The Vulcan blinked, trying to mentally suppress the pain, but before he even had a chance to try to recover from the vicious attack, Spock found himself being spun around to face his attacker.

"Your concern for your captain is touching," Khan growled darkly, kneeing his most hated enemy in the chest, before hoisting him into the air by his neck with one hand, "but I think you really ought to be more concerned about yourself at the moment, _Mr. Spock_." He all but spat the name. Spock struggled futilely against the enraged superman. Khan tightened his grip, cutting off the Vulcan's air supply, choking him. There was a mad, vengeful gleam burning in the augment's eyes as he stared unflinchingly into Spock's, ignoring the sharp sting of the sand hitting them, as the mighty storm rolled up behind them like a massive Tsunami wave. _"Do you know what I'm going to do now, Mr. Spock!_?" Khan yelled, raising his voice to be heard over the turbulent winds just behind him, momentarily loosening his grip to give Spock a chance to reply. Spock grit his teeth, frustrated. _He was toying with him! Jim could be severely concussed, and Khan was toying with him…!_

_"Y...k-kill…!"_ Spock managed to choke out, glaring hatefully back at his tormentor as painful memories of the last time his friend almost died because of this madman came flooding back.

"Kill you? Oh, no. Don't be so obvious, Mr. Spock." Khan told him, grinning viciously, as he tightened his grip again, resuming his choke-hold on the Vulcan. "I mean, of course I'm going to kill you, but I wouldn't want to rush it. First, I am going to _burn_ you." He snarled as the storm finally enveloped them. _"I will burn the heart out of you, just like you—"_

_—BAM!_

"_!_?" Khan exclaimed, honestly startled when a solid force slammed directly into his back with massive force, knocking him flat on his stomach. He was so caught off guard, that he actually dropped the Vulcan on his way down! Even more surprising, was when the thing tried to wrap its slender arms around him. A woman_!_? Khan thought, bemused. Clever girl, hiding herself in the storm like that… but not clever enough!

Before she could get a proper purchase on him, Khan grabbed one of her arms and ripped her away from himself, throwing her with such force, that she should have been sent flying several feet away. Instead, with cat-like reflexes, she landed on her feet, bracing herself. She ended up only sliding a few inches back in the sand after landing a foot away from him. They were facing each other now, but unlike Kirk and Spock, she was not wearing a transparent protective face mask, but rather dark, tinted goggles and a head scarf wrapped securely in place to cover her mouth and nose and keep the sand out. She must have decided the mask and respirator attached to it would be too cumbersome in a fight, which Khan was inclined to agree with, seeing as he had so easily managed to subdue the others. The respirator certainly hadn't been of much help to Mr. Spock when Khan had him in a chokehold. Khan took a swing at her, but she managed to duck, dropping into a crouch before lunging forward. She kept her body close to the ground, darting between his legs to place herself behind him again. Khan frowned slightly in annoyance. Despite her initial attempt to tackle him, she seemed to be trying to avoid a direct confrontation. She seemed more focused on staying at his back than landing any actual physical blows.

This girl was quick, he'd give her that. Her movements were slightly unorthodox… and yet, they were also vaguely familiar…

Once again the girl's hand's sought to get a firm hold on him. This time, she aimed for his wrists and wrenched his arms backwards, toward herself, and dug her knee into Khan's lower spine, trying to force him to his knees. For a moment, Khan's knees began to buckle, but her victory was short lived. Before she could even blink, Khan slammed his head back into her face, breaking her nose. He smirked wickedly. If she thought she was safe simply because she was in a blind spot for normal humans, then she was dead wrong. The moment he felt her grip on his wrists loosen, Khan twisted his hands free from hers, reversing the situation entirely, as he gripped her tightly by her own wrists and swung her petite body up and over his head. Despite the injury she had just sustained, she managed to recover enough of her wits to land in a squatting position directly in front of him as he continued to hold her wrists in a vice-like grip. Her arms were locked parallel to each other, pulled straight back behind her in a position similar to the one she had been trying to use to force him into submission earlier. She struggled to pull free, but it was useless. He had her right where he wanted her. Or so he thought. To his surprise, she pushed off the sandy ground with her feet, launching herself into the air, taking full advantage of the double joints in her wrist to swing up and over the top of his head. Using Her body's own momentum, slammed her feet into Khan's back with enough force to knock him off balance and force him to release her wrists. He stumbled forward a couple of steps, while she fell flat on her back before quickly rolling back onto her feet, taking up a defensive stance, as Khan spun around to face her again.

"What _are _you?" Khan asked, unable to help but feel intrigued by this new opponent. She couldn't be a mere human with moves like that. If he didn't know any better, he might think she was an augment, like himself. Was she perhaps another human-vulcan hybrid, like Spock?

Said Vulcan watched as their fight progressed, breathing heavily, as he tired to catch his breath again. Perhaps he owed Miss Dempsey an apology for expressing doubt in her before, and though he would have appreciated it more if she had arrived sooner, late was better than never…

_WHAM!_

Khan kicked out, and there was a nasty crunching sound as he hit Prima's leg. His rage made it wild and sloppy but Prima was fragile for an augment, and it would take a lot more to hurt Khan. Prima landed half on top of Khan and was moving before she'd even stopped falling. She reached both of her hands over to one of Khan's shoulders, gripping it as she slid towards the other side, once again using her body weight and momentum to her advantage, turning Khan. That same motion allowed her to dodge a blow that would have shattered her jaw. Instead, it hit her collarbone with a sharp crack.

_SNAP!_

Prima winced, but despite the pain she must have been feeling, she made no sound. The silence with which Prima moved almost made her seem like something else, like a violent force of nature wrapped in an elegant grace. A fierce jungle cat in the body of a kitten—no less savage but at the same time so very small...

Spock's jaw tensed as he watched, unable to do anything. Their speed was on a completely different level. Their movements were lighting fast. Even if he tried to join the fray, he doubted he would be able to keep up with the two superhumans. Unlike the last time he had faced Khan, when Spock's rage had given him an edge, and Khan's had only made his own moves more careless, as Khan fought with Prima, his moves became increasingly sharper and more focused. The only thing Spock could do to assist Prima in this case would be to use his phaser to repeatedly stun Khan, just as Uhura had done before, but the two of them kept moving around so much, that it made it nearly impossible for Spock to get a clear shot of Khan… but if he could remain patient, perhaps an opportunity might present itself… Spock took his eyes off of them for just a moment to retrieve his phaser from its holster. But when he looked back at them, Prima had already scrambled on top of Khan's back.

This time, she was using her full weight on the small of Khan's back to hold him in place. Khan jabbed his elbow into Prima's side, but this time she was able to keep herself from flinching, and as he went to put his hand back on the desert floor to try and push himself up, Prima pushed against his elbow and slipped his arm straight out on the sand. Next, before even Khan could have chance to prevent it, Prima's foot was on his elbow, pinning it in place and preventing Khan from getting it under himself properly so he could throw Prima off again.

Spock was impressed. Prima was a far better fighter than he had imagined, than any of them had imagined. Though she had initially proposed this plan because she claimed to be much weaker than Khan physically, what really made her dangerous was the way she allowed her mind to dance ahead of her opponent to compensate for her smaller body. She was more determined and forceful than he had imagined, and yet the savagery was deliberate and tempered, carefully directed and full of purpose. She put every ounce of energy where it would do the most good, where she could find the most leverage, where she could direct the fight. None of it was spent on protecting herself, none on seriously hurting Khan, it was all a perfect symphony of control, both of herself and her opponent. Even her injuries only fed into the relentless conviction of her movements.

It had been little more than a minute, and Prima had almost completely incapacitated Khan, despite having done almost no damage at all and taking a lot herself. Her knees rested on Khan's back with her right foot against his right elbow, but her left foot sat awkwardly off to the side and was already showing signs of swelling. Her left shoulder was not looking much better. She was certain her collarbone was broken. Prima had moved swiftly but she needed this over fast, she couldn't keep taking damage like this. If the slightest thing went wrong she would lose, the possibility was there, the check, though it wasn't quite the check mate, not yet. She was close. So close… It was a precarious position though. Three hundred years worth of jet lag was starting to catch up to her, and Khan was already a lot stronger than her to begin with. She might have the upper hand now, but Prima knew that if this fight went on much longer, she would lose. If Khan was able to get his other arm underneath him and bent, then he'd be able to push himself up and throw her off. She needed to end this quickly, but she wasn't quite sure how… It was taking every once of her concentration just to keep Khan restrained and prevent him from overtaking her again. If she allowed herself to become distracted by anything else, for even one second, it would be over. _For all of them_.

"ENOUGH!" Prima suddenly roared in frustration, fed up with the situation. Why did everything always have to be so difficult! Her sudden outcry startled both men. Spock, because he hadn't expected such an abrupt fit from her, and Khan… well, for Khan, it was mostly because he hadn't expected to hear such a voice ever again.

"No…" Khan said, eyes widening in shock. "That's impossible… It can't be…"

"But it is. It's me, Khan." Prima said, pulling off the scarf and goggles so that Khan could see for himself. The sandstorm had finally begun to die down. "And you should stop using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."

"Marcus said you were dead—that your cryotube had failed!" Khan persisted stubbornly, unable to believe his eyes. It was too good to be true. This had to be some kind of sick and twisted ploy to get him to lower his guard, but only he knew only Prima would quote such a ridiculous (and now ancient) movie like that…

"He obviously lied. Did you really think you could rid of me that easily, Khan? Don't you know by now that I'm too stubborn to die?" She asked, smiling wryly down at him. But then her expression shifted to become more serious. "I heard all about what happened, with you and Marcus… and your showdown with Kirk and Spock. I know everything." She informed him grimly. Khan's jaw tensed when he saw the look of sad disappointment in her eye. He hated that look. He hated when it wad directed at him especially.

"If know you everything, then _why_ are you with _Kirk and Spock_? _Don't you know what they did!_?" He demanded angrily. She, of all people, should be able to understand why he had gone to such extremes! She had no right to start pointing fingers after what she did back in the '90s! _"I saw it with my own eyes! They killed—"_

"—No one_._ They killed _no one_, Khan. It was a trick. They just tricked you." Prima told him, keeping her voice gentle but firm. She needed Khan to understand just how pointless this fight was. She needed him to stop trying to kill Spock and Kirk for something that never happened. She needed him to stop blaming himself and let it go. "Mr. Spock had Dr. McCoy remove everyone's cryotubes from the missiles before they armed and beamed them over. The others are fine. I've seen them for myself, with my own eyes." She looked at him sadly when she saw the distrust on his face. "Khan. Have I _ever_ lied to you before? Would I lie about something this important?"

"… No. Never." Khan reluctantly conceded. No matter what happened, Prima had never lied to him. She knew better. Khan exhaled a long sigh and finally allowed himself to relax a little. Prima was alive… They were _all_ alive. For the first time, in a long time, Khan felt he finally had something to be grateful for. "So, how long are you planning to keep sitting on me?" He asked her, smirking ever so slightly.

"Well, I'm technically here to arrest you, you know?" Prima replied, raising an eyebrow. It never ceased to amaze her how quickly Khan could shift emotional gears, actually, that might have been the thing that made him scariest of all… One minute he'd be smiling at you, and the next he might decide he'd rather serve your head up on silver platter… He was a bit of a psychopath, but he was her psychopath.

"Oh, are you now?" He asked lightly, raising an eyebrow. "So, you came all the way out here into space just for me?"

"Of course. That's how our relationship works, remember? You take a wrong turn off the path of morality and end up jumping off a bridge, and then I paddle up my canoe and save your ass." She retorted, grinning slyly at him. "I had to come with in order to make sure they wouldn't end up killing you. There was too much of a chance that you wouldn't let them take you alive otherwise. So, how about it? Are you going to come quietly, or do we have to fight some more? Personally, I'd rather we didn't, because I'm kind of tired, and my leg and collarbone hurt a lot more than I'm actually letting on."

"Ah, yes… my apologies. I promise to make it a cleaner break next time." Khan apologized carelessly, half teasing her. Although he really did feel a bit bad for injuring her, it was partly her own fault for not saying something sooner.

"Um, yeah… no. How about you just don't break any of my bones _period_ next time?" Prima suggested, smiling wryly, clearly chagrined.

"Ahem." Spock cleared his throat, reminding the two superhumans of his presence. They both glanced over at the Vulcan, who was finally in his feet again, and he had his phaser trained on Khan, just in case the dangerous augment tried to make any sudden movements. Though Spock had initially been somewhat bewildered by Khan's sudden shift in temperament and their little exchange of friendly (?) banter, he had at least recovered enough to point out something rather important that Prima seemed to have forgotten. "Aren't you going to cuff him, Miss Dempsey?"


	6. Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"Ah, yes… my apologies. I promise to make it a cleaner break next time." Khan apologized carelessly, half teasing her. Although he really did feel a bit bad for injuring her, it was partly her own fault for not saying something sooner._

_"Um, yeah… no. How about you just don't break any of my bones period next time?" Prima suggested, smiling wryly, clearly chagrined._

_"Ahem." Spock cleared his throat, reminding the two superhumans of his presence. They both glanced over at the Vulcan, who was finally in his feet again, and he had his phaser trained on Khan, just in case the dangerous augment tried to make any sudden movements. Though Spock had initially been somewhat bewildered by Khan's sudden shift in temperament and their little exchange of friendly (?) banter, he had at least recovered enough to point out something rather important that Prima seemed to have forgotten. "Aren't you going to cuff him, Miss Dempsey?"_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 5: Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen]]**_

* * *

When Kirk finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying on a bed in sickbay with a pounding head. He tired to sit up, but found it somewhat difficult when a dizzy spell came over him.

"Oh, I think he's up, Doc!" Prima announced, perking up slightly when she noticed movement on the neighboring bed. McCoy glanced over at his disorientated friend as he put the finishing touches on the splint on her broken leg. Although the _Excalibur's_ ship doctor was no doubt perfectly capable of treating their injuries on his own, McCoy had insisted on taking charge of their care himself. After all, that was why he had been dragged along on this little venture of theirs in the first place.

"Ugh… what happened?" Kirk asked groggily. It felt like he either had a really good time the previous night, or he just got his ass handed to him.

"Well… according to Spock, Khan basically K.O.'d you, so the bad news is, you missed the whole fight." McCoy informed him. "But the good news is, your mask absorbed most of the impact, so even though I'm sure your head is still spinning, you were lucky enough to get away with only a light concussion. It's really quite fortunate no serious harm was done." He added, furrowing his brow slightly. At this point, he was just glad their crazy plan had worked without getting any of them killed.

"Well, I figured Khan wouldn't purposefully start off throwing out lethal blows, since he can be a little… vindictive…" Prima commented, smiling apologetically at the slightly dazed man. She had suspected he would most likely go in for slow torture before finishing the guys off, which was why she figured she had time to use the storm as camouflage before any permanent damage was done. She never would have been able to get close enough to land a blow on Khan if she had approached him straight on. Honestly, she was surprised Khan had given in so easily after learning her true identity. She had expected him to be angrier and a lot less pleased to see her, considering it was her fault that they were all even on the _SS Botany Bay_ to begin with… Perhaps he had enough time to get over it...?

"And I think that may just be the understatement of the year." Kirk said drolly, giving his head a little shake, as though it would help clear it. "Damn. I can't believe I let myself get taken out so easily..." So much for his reputation…

"Don't feel too bad, Captain. He kicked all our asses." Prima stated rather carelessly, waving off his worries. "I mean, look at me. I've got two broken bones." Fortunately, her nose had already finished healing after she pinched it back into place.

"Wait. You mean… we _lost!_?" Kirk asked, frowning in confusion. And here he had thought Prima's plan just might be crazy enough to work…

"Um, no. If we'd lost do you really think we'd all still be alive to have this conversation?" Prima asked him, raising an eyebrow. "We took some damage, but we won in the end. Mr. Spock decided to get Khan processed and confined to his holding cell while Doc finished patching us up." She explained, smiling wryly. Actually, to be more precise, she was pretty sure Khan had _let_ her win. For a moment it had been touch and go after Spock had rained on their parade by suggesting she handcuff Khan, but he eventually allowed himself to be persuaded to humor them after Prima pointed out that if he went on another rampage, Starfleet might decide that _all_ augments were too dangerous to keep around since Khan was just one man, and he had already been the cause of so much chaos and violence for them, whatever his reasons. They weren't going to kill or torture him, so what was the harm? The rest of the crew was relatively safe at the moment, and they were much more likely to remain that way if he would try cooperating with Starfleet for a change rather than continuing to prove what a threat their race could be to them.

"Wait, aren't your wounds supposed to heal faster than a normal humans?" Kirk asked, wondering why she would need 'patching up'.

"Yeah, but it's not like it happens instantly, you know." Prima replied. "It still takes a little time, and certain types of wounds still need some form of treatment, or they won't heal right… like broken bones, for instance. If you don't set the bones properly, then when the reconnective tissue forms, the bone can come out crooked or misaligned, and then the only sure way to fix that is to break it _again_ while the new tissue is still relatively weak, so it can be realigned and healed properly." She explained. "it can be a real pain in the ass, actually." She had learned that the hard way after she made the mistake of not getting a broken wrist treated soon enough.

"Wow, that sucks." Kirk said sympathetically. "But at least you don't have to be stuck in an itchy cast for six weeks."

"Yeah, at least there's that." She agreed, nodding sagely. "But I would've thought by now they'd have something better than that available… You know, like some special machine that you stick your injuries under, and voila, you're instantly healed… but I guess reality isn't always that kind, huh? I hear you don't even have a 'fold' button on dryers yet. So sad."

"If that's how you feel, then maybe you should invent one." McCoy suggested as he stabbed Kirk in the neck with the hypo, giving him something for his headache. "I'm sure you'd make millions on that patent."

"Ow! Hey!" Kirk protested indignantly. "How many times do I have to tell you _not_ to do that_!_?" He demanded, chagrined.

"Don't be such an infant." Bones chided him carelessly. "We've got a girl with broken bones over here who's complaining less than you."

"Meh. That's because I'm used to it, and my Dad didn't raise no sissy. He'd always tell me 'Suck it up, princess!' and then give me a lollipop or two, depending on how good I was." Prima said, smiling wryly. She would have shrugged, but her collarbone wasn't quite done fixing itself yet. "It was like an inside joke between us."

"Sounds like you had a colorful childhood." McCoy said, raising an eyebrow. "You're father must have been quite the character." Pediatrician by day, secret serum developer by night…

"Yeah, he was pretty great." Prima said, smiling proudly. "Anyway, we'd better go check on how things are with Spock and Khan… I'm not so sure it's a good idea to leave them together for so long. The air seemed kind of tense between them…" Even if Khan knew logically that he his reason for bearing a grudge against the Vulcan was unfounded, seeing as his supposedly dead crew was actually alive and well, those kinds of intense negative feelings were not so easily set aside, and it was clear that the Vulcan still held Khan responsible for his friend's painful near death experience, since Kirk never would have had to risk his life to repair the core if Khan's attack on the _Enterprise_ had not misaligned it in the first place, even if it was a tad illogical of him…

"Yes, and I have a few questions for Mr. Singh..." Kirk replied thoughtfully. Like who his mysterious benefactor was…

—∞—

"He wasn't always like this, you know… Khan." Prima suddenly started out of the blue as the three of them made their way to the brig. Kirk was walking beside McCoy while the doctor pushed her wheelchair for her. She found herself on the receiving end of a few curious stares from the crew members they passed in the corridor every now and then. One would think they had never seen a girl in a wheelchair before. Prima felt a bit silly sitting in it with such minor injuries, but McCoy had insisted that crutches would put unnecessary strain on her collarbone, and she was inclined to agree. It would heal faster if she left it alone and tried not to move too much.

"Like what? Homicidal?" Kirk asked rather cynically, raising an eyebrow, as he glanced at her.

"No offense, Miss Dempsey, but the man's a psychopath." McCoy added, obviously in complete agreement with his friend. As far as the good doctor was concerned, Khan was nuttier than a basket full of acorns.

"Yeah, I kind of noticed that…" She replied, grimacing slightly. She couldn't deny that Khan tended to exhibit some psychopathic tendencies, but he wasn't insane… not in the clinical sense. Actually, Prima believed he was really more of a sociopath, technically. Khan's behavior was usually too calculating and controlled to fall into the 'psychopath' category. It was only when he was extremely upset and/or disturbed that he became so erratic and disorderly, but then again, everyone tended to become more illogical when they were angry or frustrated, didn't they? And Khan had obviously been desperate, having been made to feel so alone and threatened in a strange world… He usually knew better than to let himself go postal and tally up a body count like this. "Listen, I know you might find this hard to believe, given your past dealings with him, but he's not as 'evil' as you think he is. It's not like he went around killing small animals as a child. I'm not trying to deny the fact that he's capable of accomplishing some truly heinous deeds, but that's not all he is. It might be hard to see now, but there is goodness in him too."

_"Goodness?"_ Kirk asked, scoffing skeptically. "You're an augment too, but I don't see _you_ running around on killing people!" He exclaimed incredulously, pointing out what he felt was an important difference between the two of them. Whatever his reasons, the fact remained that Khan had killed Pike and hundreds of innocent people under the guise of 'John Harrison'. Who knows what kind of terror and chaos he wreaked on the world during the Eugenics Wars!

Though Prima couldn't see him, McCoy nodded in agreement behind her. Prima might be a bit strange, but Khan made her look like a saint in comparison.

"Even the devil was once an angel, Mr. Kirk." Prima said pointedly, frowning slightly. "I myself am made up entirely of flaws stitched together with good intentions. And I'm not as innocent as you seem to think, Captain. I've made my fair share of mistakes, too…" She added somewhat regretfully as she stared ahead.

Kirk glanced at her out the corner of his eye after a moment of silence. Her eyes had begun to glaze over slightly as they peered vacantly into the distance, recalling events of another place and a time long past.

"Miss Dempsey?" McCoy asked tentatively, concerned over her sudden change in mien. She suddenly looked so tired…

"I noticed the pathetically thin file Admiral Marcus had on me lacked a sufficient description as to how I persuaded Khan to surrender and leave Earth…" She continued, blinking, as she shook her head to clear it. Between the cryogenic jetlag and the dulled but still ever present pain of her re-growing broken bones, Prima was beginning to feel that she could use a nap. She was totally ready to take back all of those times she had refused to one during kindergarten.

"Yeah… I've been wondering about that." Kirk admitted, unable to help the open curiosity that crept into his voice. Just how _had_ she managed that?

"Yes." McCoy agreed. "Although no one seems to know how, I've heard you actually managed to pull off saving the world without shedding a single drop of blood. A remarkable feat in any circumstance, let alone with an opponent like _that_." He praised her.

Prima bowed her head slightly and averted her eyes, as though she were ashamed of what she was about to reveal to them. Kirk and McCoy were both puzzled by this odd behavior. For some reason, Kirk couldn't help but feel that there was something ominous about her demeanor. Why did she seem so hesitant to tell them…?

"… It wasn't like that. I'm no a hero, Doctor. And I wasn't looking to save the world." She replied solemnly, furrowing her brow slightly, as she raised her head again to meet Kirk's gaze. McCoy was just beyond her field of vision in his current position. "… Just a few. The few that mattered. In order to save the people I cared about… I did something terrible…" A heavy silence seemed to settle over them in that stark and narrow corridor as Kirk stared down directly into her somber eyes. A touch of guilt and shame… but also a flicker of acceptance, a dash of resolve, and a great show of resilience and inner strength shone forth from deep within those hazel orbs.

Kirk frowned slightly in confusion. What was she talking about? Had betraying Khan affected her that much…? He watched as she nervously licked her full, pink lips, and began to move them to form another sentence, but before she could say another word on the subject, the tense and fragile moment between them was broken by the intrusion of Captain Harris.

"Ah, Mr. Kirk. Miss Dempsey." The older man called out, greeting all three of them as he strode down the hall, approaching them from behind. "There you are. I'd like to commend you on a job well done." He praised them politely, before turning to Bones and greeting him as well. "You as well, Dr. McCoy." He seemed to be mighty pleased about something, despite having just completely ruined Kirk and McCoy's chance to hear what had undoubtedly promised to be something of great importance from Prima.

"Captain Harris…" McCoy returned the other man's greeting, after sparing a surreptitious glance between Kirk and Prima. Was it just him, or had things had been getting a little intense between the two of them for a moment there…?

"I see you, too, are going to pay our prisoner a visit?" Harris asked curiously. He admired their work effort. Most people would still be taking it easy in sickbay after a beating like that. "Shall we greet him together?" The captain of the _Excalibur_ seemed excited to finally be encountering such an infamous criminal in the flesh. Despite being in the game longer than the young James T. Kirk, Harris's long career had been dreadfully dull when compared to Kirk's short but colorful and exciting career as a starship captain.

—∞—

**The Brig**

"Learn anything yet, Mr. Spock?" Kirk asked as they joined the Vulcan. Upon closer inspection, Kirk could almost swear his first officer was actually brooding. He looked uncharacteristically perturbed. In contrast, Khan seemed utterly indifferent to his stark light-grey, smooth-walled surroundings. If the dangerous augment was distressed to find himself back inside a holding cell, he hid it incredibly well. In fact, Khan looked almost relaxed, given the way he was practically lounging on the cell's fold-down cot, not even bothering to spare his captors a glance.

Kirk and McCoy noted that this display of behavior was markedly different from how he had acted when they had captured him the first time. What could this mean?

Captain Harris was also somewhat surprised when he saw their prisoner, but for a different reason. He frowned slightly as he regarded the augment. Other than appearing preternaturally calm in such a disadvantageous situation, Harris felt there was nothing visually exceptional about him. Sure the superhuman had excellent posture and well-developed lean musculature, but there was nothing incredibly remarkable about such things in and of themselves. For a genetically enhanced human who had committed monstrous crimes against humanity, the captain of the _Excalibur_ felt Khan actually looked… disappointingly normal…

"He is being most uncooperative." Spock informed them, furrowing his brow slightly. He had been expecting some resistance on Khan's part, given their history together, but it was another thing entirely to have his existence completely ignored like this. Spock raised an eyebrow slightly when, he noticed Prima actually seemed somewhat relieved after observing Khan's more relaxed posture. Did that mean he should take Khan's current behavior as a good sign?

She knew it wasn't entirely just for show. Even if he was giving them the silent treatment, Khan had obviously decided to humor them and accept the situation. They wouldn't have to worry about him trying to escape or take over the ship. At least, not for now, anyway...

"Oh, are you giving Mr. Spock the cold shoulder, Khan?" Prima asked, smiling wryly. "That's not very nice of you." She chided the older augment lightly. To the men's surprise He finally sat up and turned to face them, though he was looking straight at Prima, as though they didn't even exist.

"Aren't you being a bit dramatic?" Khan asked her, raising an eyebrow as he eyed the wheelchair and the splint on her leg. Was all of that really necessary? Dr. McCoy _was_ aware that Prima was an enhanced human, was he not?

"Nope. I don't heal the same way you do, remember?" Prima retorted, raising an eyebrow back, resisting the urge to cross her arms. "Unlike you, I'm delicate." An unreadable emotion flashed briefly in Khan's eyes, but it came and went so quickly, that even she almost missed it. "But I should be up and about again in half an hour or so." She reassured him, smiling softly.

Kirk glanced between the two superhumans. No way… was she…?

"We don't have time for this. Every minute we waste here, that woman who set him free is getting further and further away from us! He's obviously trying to buy time for his accomplice to escape." Harris stated, frowning with disapproval. "Who knows what the two of them have planned…" He furrowed his brow, glaring sternly at Khan. _"I am Steven H. Harris, captain of the _USS Excalibur_. Stop wasting our time and tell us what you know. Who is she, where is she and what is she after?"_ He demanded firmly. Prima's eyes widened, as did McCoy's, both coming to the same realization, possessing a bit more background in psychology than the others.

"Whoa…" Prima uttered quietly, just loud enough for Khan's enhanced hearing to pick up, as she resisted the urge to face-palm. It looked like Captain Harris really didn't know how to talk to people like Khan at all… Pushing someone like Khan too much was not wise. It only made them want to push back.

Khan simply stared back at the older-looking man, clearly unimpressed.

"Really, _Captain_… is that the best you can do?" He asked Harris calmly but also somewhat mockingly. "Ah, I see… This is your first time interrogating a real prisoner, isn't it?" More than anything, it smacked of the same tone an exasperated adult might use with a child. Khan could easily tell that while the prideful and seasoned captain might have extensive experience commanding a starship, he was painfully inexperienced when it came to personally handling incidents such as this. If this was how it was going to be, then he would actually prefer to talk to Kirk. At least he knew how to ask the _right_ questions.

_"Why, you—!"_ Harris growled, clenching his fists. He was normally a very level-headed man, but there was something about this man that just got under his skin! And He had embarrassed him in front of another starship captain and his officers as well! Thankfully, before Harris could embarrass himself further by shouting a few choice words at the infuriating augment, the voice of one of his bridge officers sounded from the brig speaker.

"—Captain. We're receiving a distress signal from another ship within the near vicinity." His navigator, Lin, informed him via the speaker. "You're needed on the bridge."

"Understood. I'm on my way." Harris replied dutifully before casting one last glare at Khan. The older captain narrowed his eyes at his prisoner. "This isn't over." He warned Khan as he turned to leave. Not by a long shot. Unfortunately, his best effort to intimidate the other man had absolutely no effect. Khan seemed positively bored as he watched Captain Harris make his strategic retreat to the bridge in order to deal with the timely emergency that had just so conveniently cropped up.

"Distress signal…? Should I be worried?" Prima asked, furrowing her brow slightly with concern. She had a bad feeling about this…

"It's probably nothing…" McCoy tried to reassure her, but he didn't sound too convinced.

"How odd. I do not recall another Starfleet vessel being stationed in this area." Spock commented. Before they had left for this mission, he had taken the liberty of checking, on the off chance that they should require more assistance with their mission. One could never be too careful when dealing with a man like Khan…

"Neither do I." Kirk agreed, furrowing his brow slightly. What was this ominous feeling in his gut… Why did he feel like something was about to go horribly wrong?

"Um, Khan… this doesn't have anything to do with your new friend, does it?" Prima asked tentatively, hoping her suspicions would prove incorrect.

"Can't say. It is possible… To be honest, I didn't bother asking about her plans. I didn't particularly care who she was or what she was up to at the time." Khan stated calmly, finally gracing them with an answer to their questions.

"A mysterious woman shows up and saves you, and you don't even bother to get her name?" Prima asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at him.

"She said she was 'a fan', and she wanted me to provide her with a suitable distraction for Starfleet." Khan replied unapologetically. "I had more important things on my mind at the moment, such as revenge for my supposedly fallen comrades. I thought you and all of the others were gone. I didn't nothing else mattered to me any more. She was intent on using me, so I decided to let her if it would further my means to reach my own end." He explained stoically. "You gentlemen really should thank Prima. If not for her, I would have undoubtedly killed you both in order to avenge my crew." He stated matter-of-factly, glancing at Kirk and Spock. They really had no idea just how fortunate they were that they had been forced to bring the revived Prima along with them. He never would have believed the truth that his crew was still alive had he heard it from anyone else. He never would have stopped. His onslaught would have been relentless. Nothing short of Khan's own death would have been able to bring an end to his wrath.

And Prima knew this. It was why she had been so quick to agree to help them capture him, to ensure that he would be taken alive. She didn't make Khan leave Earth so he could throw his life away like that and die alone on some alien planet.

"That, I do not doubt." Spock replied calmly to Khan's chilling statement.

"Yeah, thanks, 'Prima'." Kirk told the girl, patting her on the shoulder. Khan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Uh, your welcome?" She replied with a slightly strained smile. "Sorry, but could you not do that? My collarbone is still a little sensitive…"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't break her, Jim. I just finished putting her back together." McCoy quipped drolly.

"Anyway," Kirk said, removing his hand from her shoulder and focused his attention back to the matter at hand, "If she really didn't tell Khan anything, then that puts us back at square one. We still have no idea who she is or why she would do this."

"It might help us figure out the why if we at least knew who we were dealing with." McCoy said thoughtfully, nodding to himself.

"But how can we possibly hope to discern her identity when not even Starfleet's vast computer resources could not ID this woman from the images captured by the security cameras?" Spock questioned. Without a clear shot of her face, there was nothing to run against their facial recognition software.

"The cameras might not have seen her face, but Khan did." Prima pointed out, suddenly lighting up as an idea came to her. She glanced expectantly at the older augment, whose lips curved upwards into a slight, somewhat amused smile.

"I see. Yes, I suppose there is always that method…" He said, instantly understanding where she was going with this. Even if he didn't know her name, there was still a way he could help identify her… Khan couldn't care less about helping Kirk and Spock, in fact, he was reluctant to do Starfleet as a whole any favors, but if there was even the slightest possibility that woman's plans were going to put Prima in danger as well, then he could not allow her to continue.

"What method?" Kirk asked curiously.

"Don't worry. It's a simple but effective trick they used to use in the past." Prima said, grinning. "All I need is a pencil and some paper."


	7. Big Girls Don't Cry

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"But how can we possibly hope to discern her identity when not even Starfleet's vast computer resources could not ID this woman from the images captured by the security cameras?" Spock questioned. Without a clear shot of her face, there was nothing to run against their facial recognition software._

_"The cameras might not have seen her face, but Khan did." Prima pointed out, suddenly lighting up as an idea came to her. She glanced expectantly at the older augment, whose lips curved upwards into a slight, somewhat amused smile._

_"I see. Yes, I suppose there is always that method…" He said, instantly understanding where she was going with this. Even if he didn't know her name, there was still a way he could help identify her… Khan couldn't care less about helping Kirk and Spock, in fact, he was reluctant to do Starfleet as a whole any favors, but if there was even the slightest possibility that woman's plans were going to put Prima in danger as well, then he could not allow her to continue._

_"What method?" Kirk asked curiously._

_"Don't worry. It's a simple but effective trick they used to use in the past." Prima said, grinning. "All I need is a pencil and some paper."_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 6: Big Girls Don't Cry]]**_

* * *

**Somewhere in Northern India:  
The Chrysalis Project, [exact location top-secret]  
August of 1982**

"I'm really sorry about this, Prima." Her father said solemnly as security swiped his keycard, and granted them permission to proceed further. "I never meant for you to be dragged into this, too…"

"… It's okay, Dad." Prima replied calmly as they stepped into the elevator together and began their long descent to the underground research center. "I don't mind." Jack Dempsey smiled wanly down at the eight-year-old beside him as he held her hand. Though the pain of losing her mother was still heart-breakingly fresh for both of them, Prima was doing her best to stay strong for him and keep a stiff upper lip. She was so brave, just like her mother.

Barely even a day had passed since his daughter finally returned to India, and already Dr. Kaur was trying to sink her claws into the poor girl. Wasn't it enough that Francesca had just passed away? Why was that woman so intent on giving his family a hard time? After Francesca was diagnosed with a severe case of ovarian cancer five years ago, her doctor in India eventually recommended she seek a more advanced form of treatment in America, where they had better care programs and more modern facilities. Unfortunately, even the best medicine could do little for her except to delay the inevitable at her current stage, so naturally, Francesca had wanted to keep their daughter close and spend as much of her remaining time with Prima as possible. Francesca had wanted to be a mother to their daughter for as long as possible with the little time she had left. Of course, Jack had wanted to go with them as well. He had no intention of letting his wife face such a terrible and painful battle on her own, but that damn Dr. Kaur had refused to allow him to leave the project for such an extended period of time. Jack had been extremely tempted to just resign and go to America with his family anyway, but Francesca had somehow managed to persuade him not to. People who tried to quit the project or challenge Kaur tended to either meet with some unfortunate accident not long afterwards or 'disappear' entirely altogether. It was just like that song by the Eagles, _Hotel California_. You could check out any time you liked, but they never really let you leave. Actually, it was a miracle they had even allowed Francesca to leave India in the first place, for all the good it had done them…

John shook his head. There was nothing he could do to change the past, but the present was a different matter entirely. He may not have been able to save his wife, but from now on he was going to do whatever it took to protect his daughter and keep her safe.

"Prima… Do you remember what I told you about the children you're about to meet? And how you're expected to… behave?" He asked cautiously, discreetly eyeing the security camera that was mounted in the top left corner of the elevator.

"Yes…?" She replied, glancing questioningly up at her father, before following his gaze and spotting the camera. She quickly looked away from it again, keeping her eyes on the elevator doors instead. "I remember, Daddy." She added more firmly. That's right, she had to act 'natural', like a normal little girl her age would. She couldn't afford to make mistakes, like that time she accidentally got caught back in America. The people at Chrysalis wouldn't be so easy to fool, and not nearly so understanding as her grandparents' neighbors had been. One slip-up, and they would immediately know her for what she really was. She squeezed her father's hand a little tighter, careful not to hurt him.

"Good." Jack said, nodding his head in approval. He gave his little girl a small, reassuring smile and squeezed her hand back. "It's going to be all right, Prima. Daddy won't let anyone hurt you. I promise."

—∞—

**Underground,  
Classroom 4–B**

"Alright, gather round, children." The teacher, Mrs. Applebaum, said, clapping her hands to get her class's attention.

Prima felt a little nervous, standing up in front of the class of super children all by herself. At least her father had expressly made Mrs. Applebaum promise not to leave her alone with them, saying he was concerned about her safety. To be honest, Prima was too. There were only ten of them to a class, but she didn't like the way some of the other kids were looking at her, especially the dark-blonde boy sitting in the back left corner.

"We have a very special guest here to visit us today. This is Primavera Dempsey, Dr. Dempsey's daughter." The teacher continued, placing her hands on Prima's shoulders as she introduced her to the other children. "Go on. Say hello, Prima."

"Hello…" Prima greeted the class, smiling shyly, as she gave them all a little wave, hoping they would warm up to her soon. Maybe the other kids were just nervous, too? Her dad had mentioned before that they had never met someone their own age who came from the outside world before. The other children just continued to stare at her, completely silent. It was terribly awkward.

"Yoo-hoo~!" Another, older lady sang playfully as she poked her head into the room and knocked on the door frame.

"Oh, Dr. Preston. How can I help you?" Mrs. Applebaum asked, a little surprised to see the other woman there. It was rare for the child psychologist to come down to the classroom herself.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Applebaum, but there is something I need to discuss with you about the most recent lesson plans you submitted to me." Dr. Preston said. "I'm afraid it can't wait."

"Oh, um…" Mrs. Applebaum said a bit hesitantly, glancing between Prima and her colleague. "Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm sure this will only take a few minutes. Why don't you kids continue the introductions and get to each other while I talk to Dr. Preston? Okay? Okay." She said, smiling reassuringly at the appalled Prima, not even giving the poor girl a chance to object, before the two women left her alone in a proverbial shark tank.

"Hmph! Good riddance." The blonde boy that had been giving her the evil-eye sneered, earning a few snickers from his friends. "Hey, I heard your mother died. Is that true?" He asked Prima, standing up at his desk.

"Yes…?" Prima replied hesitantly, not liking where this was going.

"Do you know why she died?" He asked, as he stalked towards her. "It's because she was _weak_, like you. There's nothing more pathetic or pointless than the death of a weakling, don't you think?" He asked his classmates, smirking wickedly, as he glanced back at them.

_—SMACK!_

The sound almost seemed to reverberate throughout the small room. The rest of the children all stared straight ahead at the front of the class, stunned, while the blonde boy's eyes widened in shock when he realized he could feel a stinging sensation burning his right cheek. He turned his head to look back at Prima, bewildered. She had literally slapped that nasty smirk off of his snot-nosed face.

"Don't you dare…!" She said sternly, breathing heavily as she fought to control herself, though she knew it was too little, too late. She had already snapped. Her dad was not going to be happy when he heard about this, but at the moment, Prima didn't really care. _It was worth it_. "I watched my mom suffer for a long time while she struggled to get better and keep herself together for me and my dad—I won't let you call her weak or say her death was pointless_!_!" She shouted at him, full of righteous fury. She could feel hot tears forming in her eyes, stinging them. No—she couldn't cry here! Not in front of this jerk!

"You… _How dare you!"_ The boy roared angrily, reaching out to grab her by the neck. Fortunately, Prima managed to dodge in time. His grubby little fingers just barely managed to grab her throat. Instead, they caught something shiny that had slipped out from its hiding place, tucked underneath the collar of her shirt. Her success in escaping his attempt to strangle her only infuriated the little psychopath more. He snarled viciously as he clenched his fist around the item and ripped it away from her.

"No!" Prima cried anxiously, alarmed when she felt the chain of her mother's locket snap and slide off of her neck. "No, please! Give it back!" She began pleading, no, _begging_ earnestly. Anything but that! Seeing his opponent look so defeated seemed to calm her tormentor a little. Instead of taking another wild swing at her, he took a step back, holding the locket just out of Prima's reach, taunting her with it.

_"I said_ _give it back!"_ Prima demanded furiously, glaring fiercely, as she tried desperately to snatch it back, frustrated that she was about to lose yet another piece of her beloved mother. The other augments in the room were so startled by her sudden switch from being a lamb to a lion that they actually froze, at a complete loss as to whether they should run to their leader's aid or run for the hills. _"Give it back!_!" Prima growled, her voice dangerously low. She wasn't playing anymore. She didn't care who they were. If anything happened to that locket, she was going to kick their teeth in!

"Ha… Haha! W-What? Don't tell me you all are actually _scared_ of this runt_!_?" Her bully asked incredulously, laughing nervously. What was with this girl? Why did he suddenly feel so uneasy trying to stare her down…? He shook his head. No! He was the superior being here! He wasn't going to let himself be intimidated by this _weakling_. He couldn't afford to lose here if he was ever going to be great enough to overtake _Khan_. "If you want it, come and get it! Just try to take it back, I dare you!" He taunted Prima, smirking wickedly, holding her precious locket over his head, far about her reach. Prima clenched her fists and grit her teeth as she lowered her head and bent her knees slightly. The bully's smirk widened, believing her posture to be one of defeat. He realized she was mumbling something. What was it, an apology? A plead for mercy?

"What's that? I can't hear you. Speak up, _Runt_." He leered, taking a step closer to her.

"I said, 'Fine by me'. Just remember, you _asked_ for it!" Prima said, raising her voice, as she suddenly lunged forward and rammed her head into the boy's gut, knocking him off his feet. Before he or any of the other augments could finish processing the daring stunt she had just pulled, Prima was already snatching the locket back from his hand and taking off in a full sprint. No matter how she felt, she knew it would be verging on suicidal to stay and try to fight all ten of them on her own. Now that she had just embarrassed their leader and made him her mortal enemy, Prima knew that her best chance of survival was to get as far away as possible before they decided to try to exact revenge.

—∞—

"Say, Khan. Do you want to go and get some lunch with me?" Kati, a female augment from his generation, asked as they made their way down the hall.

They had just completed their group project for advanced chemistry in one of the labs reserved for educational purposes. Khan didn't understand the point of making the entire class work together in groups of two or three when they were all more than capable of carrying out such a simple assignment on their own.

"What do you say? It'll be my treat." Kati added, flashing him a charming smile.

"Hold that thought." Khan said, when he noticed a certain curly-haired brunette girl sliding down the railing of the stairs just a few yards away, balancing on one of the brightly-colored plastic lunch trays from the cafeteria like a pro. Khan raised an eyebrow, slightly bemused and pleasantly surprised when he recognized her face from one of the more recently framed photographs Dr. Dempsey kept on his desk. It was a face he hadn't seen in a long time. He had heard the good doctor mention she was coming back, but he never expected to see her down there again, now that she really was old enough to be a possible security risk. Khan was about to ask her why she was running around using a lunch tray in such an orthodox manner, when she slid right off the edge of the railing and went sailing through the air for a good foot or two. The moment her feet touched the floor, Prima Dempsey took off like a bat out of hell, discarding the tray, and shooting straight past the two older augments without the slightest bit of hesitation. Seeing that she was about to reach a dead end, little Prima skidded to a halt in front of the second to last door on the right, yanked it open, and disappeared inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

"… Did that really just happen?" Kati asked, raising an eyebrow of her own, as they stared after the strange child. What was wrong with that girl? She couldn't remember ever having seen that particular troublemaker before, though the child was fairly average-looking for an augment, so there was a small chance she may have simply forgotten…

"What is she doing?" Khan wondered aloud, frowning slightly. While it was nice to see that her motor skills had improved so greatly since their last meeting, he felt strangely disappointed and a bit put out that she had so blatantly ignored his presence after he had taken such good care of her. He didn't have to wonder for long, though, because ten of the younger augments came stampeding down the stairs soon after, hot on her trail.

_"Get herrrrrr!"_ Their blonde leader yelled viciously. The boy was clearly enraged, almost livid. No wonder Prima had been running. What on earth did she _do_..?

"But which way did she go_!_?" One of the girls shouted as they all skidded to a halt. She and the other children kept glancing back and forth between the opposite ends of the hallway and the path that continued on before them, circling like confused bloodhounds that had just lost the scent of their prey.

"Split up! She can't have gone far!" Lucian ordered them, scowling at their incompetence. "She's inferior, there's no way she can outsmart us!" He yelled vindictively as he turned to run.

_Thmp._

"—_!_?" Lucian grunted in surprise when he bounced off of something solid and fell backwards onto the floor with a thud. The boy looked up to see that he had just bumped into none other than _Khan_ himself. Khan did _not_ look pleased. In a matter of seconds, the boy's red face turned deathly as all the blood drained from his face and he froze with shock and fear. He heard the other children gasp and whimper in fear as well. They began slowly shuffling back, moving away from the older, more dangerous augments. Khan could be very kind when he felt like it, but if you had the misfortune to anger him or get on his bad side… Several of the children shuddered just thinking about the frightening stories they had heard from some of the previous generations of augments. Khan narrowed his eyes slightly as he fixed the belligerent boy with an icy glare. He found Lucian to be an incessant brat at the best of times, and seeing him incite others to gang up on one girl, whom they all knew to be much weaker than them, did not improve his opinion of the younger augment one bit.

"Get out of my sight." Khan commanded him and the other children coldly. Confused glances were exchanged, as though they couldn't believe what they were hearing. _"Now."_ He snapped sharply.

"!" The children gasped and quickly rushed to scurry away to safety, scattering like a brood of frightened partridges.

"H-Hey!" Lucian yelped, finally rediscovering his voice, as he scrambled to his feet and fled _"W-Wait for me, you traitors—!_!" He howled at his followers.

"Is it just me, or does every new generation just get more and more annoying?" Kati asked drolly as she watched them go. "And, to make matters worse, they have no spine… What are you doing?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Khan as he turned on his heel and made his way to the very room they had just seen the little brunette disappear into a moment ago.

"This should only take a moment." He replied calmly as he opened the door and took a step inside. The reference room was silent and, by all appearances, empty. But Khan knew better. "You can come out now." He informed the hiding little girl. "They're all gone now."

"… Really?" Prima asked warily, cautiously poking her head out of her hiding place. "Are you sure?"

Khan deadpanned when he saw where she had chosen to hide in case the other children chased her into the room. He had been expecting her to be in one of the typical hiding places a child around her age might think of, like behind one of the stacks, underneath a desk, in the closet, or even the trash can… but no, not Prima. Prima apparently couldn't be satisfied with such obvious hiding places, because she had evidently scaled one of the bookcases and concealed herself within the tiled ceiling. Khan couldn't help but smile wryly in amusement as he stared up at her. He should have known. Prima always had been a little… different…

"Yes, I'm quite sure." He assured her. "Now, come down from there."

"… I'd like to," Prima said hesitantly, frowning slightly as she furrowed her brow, "… but I think I'm stuck."

"Stuck?" Kati asked as she entered the room, looking slightly bemused at the situation she found waiting for her. It was rare to see Khan with a child, and rarer still to see one's head sticking out of the ceiling. Who _was_ this child?

"Like a kitten in a tree." Khan remarked, sighing. Typical Prima. She had managed to figure out how to get all the way up there on her own, but now she had no idea how to get herself down. "Just come back down the way you came. I'll catch you if you fall."

"Really?" Prima asked dubiously, furrowing her brow slightly. What kind of guarantee did she have this guy wouldn't just drop her? What if he tried to catch her and missed?

"Really." Khan said confidently, holding out his arms.

"_Really_, really?" She asked again, narrowing her eyes slightly with suspicion. Who was this guy, anyway? She didn't recognize him, but he acted like he knew her…

_"Prima…"_ Khan said warningly, giving her a stern look to let her know she was beginning to test his patience.

"Okay, but if I break my neck… please tell my dad _they_ started it." She said gravely, taking a deep breath, as she carefully turned around and started lowering herself down, one leg at a time.

"Do you know this girl?" Kati half whispered to Khan, surprised. This child certainly had guts, talking to someone like Khan so casually. Very few people, aside from herself, could get away without showing him the proper respect.

"Yes. I have known her since she was an infant." He replied, keeping his eyes locked on Prima, watching like a hawk, as the little girl carefully began to make her way down to them, just in case she happened to stumble. Kati noted that this was probably the first time she had ever seen Khan act so protective.

"Ah!" Prima gasped in alarm, startled when her foot slipped, and she felt herself falling. Fortunately, Khan had her back, and he caught her with ease.

"You see. I told you I would catch you." Khan said, smirking triumphantly at the little girl in his arms. She grown quite a bit since he last held her like this, but Khan was eighteen now and stronger than ever. He could just as easily carry ten Primas if necessary. Prima blinked, a little surprised by the feat. She didn't really recognize him, but something about this situation felt extremely familiar…

"Are you Khan?" She asked curiously, tilting her head slightly, as she looked up at him.

"Yes." Khan replied, smiling wryly. Did that mean she only just now realized who he was? Well, she had been very young when they parted four years ago, so perhaps her forgetfulness could be forgiven.

"I thought so." She said, grinning, as she put her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I feel safe when you hold me."

"Awww~!" Kati cooed, abruptly reminding Khan of her presence. He glanced at her and found she was now staring at the two of them with a mixture of astonishment and adoration. "I feel as though I've just witnessed a miracle… or one of the seven signs of the apocalypse…"

_"Kati…"_ Khan began warningly.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She teased, smiling innocently and raising her hand, as if swearing a sacred oath. "Can I hold her?"

"Only if you are very, very careful with her." Khan replied seriously. "Prima is not an augment. She is Dr. Dempsey's biological daughter."

"Oh, is that so? Well, maybe you should hold onto her, then. I wouldn't want to accidentally smother her." Kati replied, gesturing to her ample bosom.

"'She' is right here." Prima deadpanned, pouting slightly at the way they were talking about her as if she couldn't hear them. Why did adults do that, anyway? Didn't they realize how annoying it could get after awhile?

"My apologies." Kati said graciously, raising an eyebrow. Oh, yes, this child definitely had guts to speak to them in such a way. Prima didn't know how lucky she was that she was with Khan, and that Kati found her just cute enough to make up for her smart mouth.

"Come, it is nearly time for lunch. Have you eaten yet?" Khan asked, speaking directly to Prima this time, as he carried her out of the room, followed closely by Kati.

"No, but—Ah!" Prima said, alarmed, when her mother's locket slipped out of her shorts pocket and fell to the floor with a clatter.

"What is this, a necklace?" Kati asked curiously as she bent over and picked it up. It looked like real gold, something a grown woman would wear. But the chain was broken. What was an eight-year-old doing with something like this?

"It's my mom's. Please, give it back to me." Prima said anxiously, holding her hand out.

"Your mother's?" Kati asked, confused by the sudden look of desperation on the previously happy little girl's face. "Why is the chain broken?"

"That boy who was chasing me did it. Now, _please_…!" Prima beseeched the older girl. Her lower lip trembled slightly as she gazed up at Kati with big, sad puppy dog eyes.

"Yes! All right, all right… Just don't look at me like that!" Kati chided her, feeling strangely guilty, as she returned the keepsake. She was going to have to get Prima to teach her how to make that particular expression. It was _quite _effective.

"Why would he do such a thing?" Khan asked Prima, watching her clutch the precious memento protectively to her chest rather than risk it falling out of her pocket again.

"… Probably because I slapped him." Prima admitted, avoiding his gaze as she confessed. Khan raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"_You _started the fight? I thought you said earlier that the other children had started it. That was very foolish of you, Prima. You were outnumbered and completely outmatched by them physically. You could have been seriously injured!" He scolded her. Four years, and this girl still hadn't developed even the slightest hint of self-preservation!

"B—But he said mean things about my mom!" Prima protested defensively. "I don't care who they are, no one talks about my momma that way!" She huffed stubbornly, puffing her little chest out as she stared up defiantly at him. "He deserved what he got!"

"Well, at least there's one child around here who has a spine." Kati commented, smiling with approval. It was kind of a waste this girl wasn't an augment.

"Do _not_ encourage her." Khan said quickly, though secretly, he too was a little proud of Prima for standing up for herself, even if it had been very dangerous and very foolish for her to do so.

"Um, Khan…?" Prima asked somewhat tentatively, glancing up rather demurely at him.

"Yes, Prima?" He asked, glancing down at her.

"_Please,_ don't tell my dad…? I kind of promised him I wouldn't get into trouble…" She said, blushing, as she smiled a bit sheepishly and batted her pretty little eyelashes.


	8. Black Magic Woman

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

"B—But he said mean things about my mom!" Prima protested defensively. "I don't care who they are, no one talks about my momma that way!" She huffed stubbornly, puffing her little chest out as she stared up defiantly at him. "He deserved what he got!"

"Well, at least there's one child around here who has a spine." Kati commented, smiling with approval. It was kind of a waste this girl wasn't an augment.

"Do _not_ encourage her." Khan said quickly, though secretly, he too was a little proud of Prima for standing up for herself, even if it had been very dangerous and very foolish for her to do so.

"Um, Khan…?" Prima asked somewhat tentatively, glancing up rather demurely at him.

"Yes, Prima?" He asked, glancing down at her.

"_Please,_ don't tell my dad…? I kind of promised him I wouldn't get into trouble…" She said, blushing, as she smiled a bit sheepishly and batted her pretty little eyelashes.

* * *

_**[[Chapter 7: Black Magic Woman]]**_

* * *

**Stardate: 2259.76  
In standard orbit of Rigel XII,**  
**approximately 773 light-years away from Earth**

"Hold on… I think I might have made a mistake somewhere." Prima said, frowning slightly at her drawing, as she held up a hand to signal for Khan to stop reciting the description of his mysterious kidnapper/benefactor. "Doesn't she look a little too much like Nicole Kidman?" She asked, holding up the composite sketch for the others to see. Unfortunately, being in an extensively digital age, they didn't happen to have any normal paper or pencils lying around, so Prima had to make do using a stylus and an application for jotting down handwritten notes on a PADD. Prima thought she had managed to do a decent job considering, but if not for the lack of big 80's hair, the woman that she had just drawn could practically be the actress's doppelganger. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought Khan was messing with her.

"Wow… That's some skill you've got there." McCoy said, letting out a whistle of appreciation for her drawing skills. It was amazing to think she had enough talent to render such a detailed and lifelike sketch so quickly using such a simple program. "You're quite the artist, Miss Dempsey."

"Remarkable. But tell me, who is this 'Nicole Kidman' you speak of?" Spock asked curiously. Was she, perhaps, an old acquaintance of theirs?

"Oh, she's a pretty Australian actress from the twentieth century. I take it none of you have ever seen 'Days of Thunder'?" Prima explained, feeling a little puzzled. She had been so sure the up and coming actress was on her way to worldwide stardom after her role in that movie caused her fame to skyrocket outside of her native country.

"Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell." Kirk replied, giving her a slight, apologetic smile, and shrugging as he leaned over her shoulder to get a better look at her drawing. "I have no idea who you're talking about… but she's pretty hot." After a brief moment of silence, the young captain glanced up from the sketch to find all of the others, including Khan, giving him varying looks that ranged from mild amusement to strong disapproval. "What? Oh, like none of you were thinking it!" He snapped a bit defensively, slightly chagrined that they had all ganged up on him like that. "Anyway, Khan, _is_ her sketch accurate?"

"Yes, but do keep in mind, Mr. Kirk, that this woman is not someone you should take lightly." Khan stated dryly, clearly unimpressed with Kirk's behavior. Given her recent accomplishments, it should be obvious that this woman was not to be underestimated.

"Excellent. Then, if the sketch is completed, we can proceed to search for a match for this woman's identity." Spock stated, taking PADD so he could begin to do just that.

"Awesome." Prima said, exhaling. "If you guys need me, I'll be right here… but try not to, because I plan on napping in my chair." She said, smiling wryly, as she gestured at the spot on the floor her wheelchair was currently parked at, right in front of Khan's cell.

"The fact that you feel safe enough to fall asleep there both impresses and concerns me." McCoy stated dryly. Most people would not be able to fall asleep with such ease in front of a dangerous criminal like Khan, even if there was a sturdy prison between them. Prima raised an eyebrow at that.

"What do you mean by—" She started to ask, when an high-pitched beeping sound was heard. She sighed. It looked like her nap was going to have to wait, because in her very brief experience in the future, any time some machine or gadget made a noise in this place, it meant _something_ was about to happen that would require her attention. Darn. Couldn't the universe cut a girl a break once in a while?

"It would appear we have a match, Captain." Spock informed them, taking a moment to scan the data on the screen, before handing the PADD over to Kirk. Prima's composite sketch had proved to be quite accurate, indeed. "Dr. Sylvia M. Dahl, a Starfleet science officer who possesses a doctorate in applied physics, biotechnology, bioengineering, and cybernetics. She graduated at the top of her class and is also the current leading authority on nanotechnology."

"That's quite a résumé." McCoy remarked, impressed.

"Her IQ is off the charts." Kirk observed as he continued to read through the data listed below her name and picture. "But why would she…?" He began to wonder out loud, when something caught his eye. "It says here her father died when the science vessel he was assigned to was attacked by Klingons while conducting a survey of Rigel XII ten years ago…"

"Why would they attack a simple survey vessel?" Prima asked. Some notes on the Klingon race had been included in the data they gave her earlier, but it had been little more than a footnote since the focus was largely on Khan. Well, at least it would seem they finally had their answer as to why Rigel XII was chosen. It held emotional significance to the woman who had orchestrated this whole affair.

"It doesn't say, but in my experience, Klingons don't need much of a reason to start a fight." Kirk replied, frowning, as he remembered some of his previous encounters with the ruthless aliens.

Khan was also deep in thought. This new information on that woman would certainly explain why she might be interested in taking so many samples of his blood… at the time he hadn't given it much thought, but now he was starting to doubt his decision to humor that specific request of hers. While the special regenerative properties of his blood could work medical miracles in the right hands, he suspected this Sylvia Dahl had something much more nefarious in mind…

"Prima, you've dabbled in biotechnology... Tell me, for what purpose do you think a woman like Sylvia Dahl would require ten vials of my blood?" He asked abruptly, without preamble.

"Hmm… I can't say for sure. Everything I know might be hopelessly outdated by now." Prima said thoughtfully. "But we all know your blood possesses some pretty miraculous qualities. Whatever her reason, she undoubtedly would have wanted to be sure she had enough samples to run multiple tests and experiments… How would you describe her mental state, based on your brief encounter with her?" She asked curiously. If they could learn more about her, then it would make discerning her motives behind both freeing Khan and taking his blood that much easier.

"She appeared to be calm, collected, and aloof… but I could also sense that there was something similar between Dr. Dahl and myself." Khan said thoughtfully. "There is a darkness in that woman. I could sense a palpable rage hidden just beneath that smooth exterior of hers. It won't be long now, before the damn bursts."

—∞—

**Meanwhile, on the Bridge…**

"We've made contact with the other vessel, Captain." Harris's communications officer informed him as he stepped onto the bridge. "They're identifying themselves as the _Cassiopeia_, a science vessel."

"On screen." He ordered, taking a seat in his captain's chair.

"Oh, thank goodness!" The frazzled young woman that suddenly appeared on screen exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. "Th-This is Lieutenant Marla McGivers of the _USS Cassiopeia—_Please, you have to help us! W-We've been attacked!" She was a fairly attractive brunette with curly chestnut-colored hair, soft doe eyes, and fair skin. She was wearing a red uniform, indicating she was a member of the operations division aboard the small ship. Aside from looking very anxious and rather disheveled, she appeared to be relatively unharmed, but the same could not be said for the rest of the crew. There several unconscious bodies strewn about the bridge behind her. The ship was dark, dimly illuminated only by the emergency auxiliary lights, and some of the control panels were emitting puffs of smoke and bursts of sparks.

"All right. Just calm down, Lieutenant." Harris told her gently, but firmly, furrowing his brow in concern and confusion. "Who attacked you? When did this happen?" He asked calmly before quietly issuing a few orders to his crew. "Lieutenant Lin, I want that ship thoroughly scanned. Ensign Avakian, have you detected any other ships or weapons being fired in the area since we assumed a standard orbit over Rigel XII?"

"No Captain, nothing." Ensign Avakian replied, furrowing his brow as he double-checked the instruments and data readings. Were the sensors malfunctioning?

"Captain. I'm getting a strange energy reading from the _Cassiopeia_…" Lin informed him, looking deeply disturbed. "Not only are the scanners having trouble registering and distinguishing between different life forms, but there appears to be some kind of abnormal power source aboard!"

_"What!_?" Captain Harris said, alarmed.

—∞—

**Down in the Main Section of Engineering…**

"Zut alors!" The _Excalibur's _Chief Engineer, François Bouchard, huffed in annoyance as he began to once again repair the same panel in the Auxiliary Control Room that had already come loose at least _five times_ since they left the space dock. This ship was getting so old, it was starting to fall apart at the seams! It was a miracle he could get an antique like this to run at all. What he wouldn't give to be assigned to a beauty like the _Enterprise_…

The Frenchman's internal rant was interrupted by the familiar hum of what could only be a transporter beam… about a foot behind him. Knowing whoever it was couldn't possibly be one of his shipmates, Bouchard very slowly and very cautiously turned his head to see who or what it might be. The engineer's eyes widened in fear and shock when he saw the intruders.

_"Merde…!"_ He cried unceremoniously, scrambling to grab ahold of some part of the control panel when one of the strange beings seized him by the ankles and proceeded to drag him out from under it. His efforts to prolong the inevitable were all in vain. His attacker was inhumanly strong, handling the heavy-weight Frenchman as if he were simply dragging a reluctant cat out from its hiding place beneath a bed.

"Well, well. Look who it is." A familiar voice sang tauntingly as Bouchard was hauled to his feet and held captive before an equally familiar face.

"Sylvia." Bouchard grunted in acknowledgement, recognizing his old classmate from the academy. She had always been terribly ambitious, but this… _this_ was going too far! "I see you've finally done the unthinkable…" He commented, warily eyeing the other nine people (if they could still be called that) that had just beamed aboard the _Excalibur_ with her. Some kind of strange implants, the likes of which he had never seen before, had been surgically inserted into their skulls. The implants almost completely covered the entire right sides of their shaved heads and seemed to be connected to a harness that was perfectly aligned with, and deeply rooted within the spinal cord. Just the sight alone of such perverse and painful-looking modifications made Bouchard cringe. Their veins, particularly those closest to the implants, were unnaturally dark. It was a rather startling contrast against their deathly-pale skin, and their eyes stared straight ahead, glazed over and unseeing, as if they were little more than walking corpses. But the superior strength and dexterity of the 6'5" giant that was holding him suggested otherwise. And she was also quite obviously using the implants to manipulate and control the poor people via the sophisticated headset she had created for herself.

"What have you done to these people_!_?" Bouchard demanded, horrified on their behalf. There was no way anyone would willingly subject themselves to such abuse! This went far beyond the realm of any normal cybernetic enhancements—It was inhuman! "You've gone too far this time, Sylvia! _You'll never get away with it!"_

"I already have." Dr. Sylvia Dahl replied, smirking wickedly. "You want to know what I did to these 'people', Bouchard? Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough, by experiencing it firsthand." She motioned for another one of her Frankenstein creations to step forth. _"Convert him."_ She ordered it coldly.

—∞—

**The Brig**

"Well, that can't be good." Prima remarked when flashing red lights suddenly came on all around them, accompanied by a somewhat obnoxious alarm buzzer. The security personnel that had been standing guard so quietly that their presence had virtually been all but forgotten, snapped to attention, prepared to draw their phasers if necessary. "Please tell me this is just a fire drill?" Prima asked, though she knew better than to get her hopes up.

"No. The ship has just entered into 'red alert' status." Spock informed her. "Which indicates we are now in a state of emergency and possibly facing a crisis of some sort."

"Fabulous." Prima deadpanned. "When it rains, it really pours, huh?"

"You, Ensign," Kirk said, addressing the young man whom was currently monitoring the security control panel in the brig, "What's going on?" Did this have something to do with that distress signal Captain Harris had been called to the bridge for? Were they under attack?

"It's an intruder alert!" The ensign replied, clearly alarmed, as he listened to the various reports that were suddenly flooding in. "I don't understand… we've already raised our shields, but the enemy's numbers seem to be steadily increasing, spreading out from main engineering…" He informed them, horrified by the screams he could hear in the background. "Oh, God… _the screams_…"

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the red alert ended, and inter-ship communications came to a screeching halt. Someone had cut them off. An eerie silence settled over the brig as its occupants cast wary glances around the room, pondering these disturbing developments and what they could mean. Prima glanced questioningly at Khan, but he could provide her with no certain answers at the moment. However, she found comfort in his piercing glasz eyes as he continued to hold her gaze, silently promising her that whatever happened, he would not allow any harm to come to her. He would protect her at all costs. Prima smiled slightly and nodded. She understood perfectly. The same went for her. She would protect him, too. As long as they were together, everything would be fine. Together, the two of them were invincible.

"—Crew of the _Excalibur_, this is your new captain speaking." A confident and sexy female voice announced over the ship's intercom, simultaneously addressing all levels and departments.

"New captain?" Kirk asked dubiously, furrowing his brow and frowning slightly. What happened to Captain Harris? How did this woman manage to gain control the ship so quickly? Who _was_ she? None of them recognized the voice. None of them except for Khan, that is.

"It's _her_." Khan informed them, furrowing his brow slightly.

"Sylvia Dahl?" Prima asked, furrowing her brow slightly in confusion. "How did she even get onboard?" Before anyone could offer an answer to her question, Dr. Dahl continued her speech.

"Your captain is _dead_." She informed the crew coldly. Her velvety voice was completely devoid of even the slightest hint of regret or guilt. "I have taken complete control of this ship from engineering. As we speak, my 'unique' crew is in the process of securing the rest of this vessel. You have three options: surrender, death, or conversion. _Resistance is futile_."


	9. Another One Bites The Dust

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"—Crew of the Excalibur, this is your new captain speaking." A confident and sexy female voice announced over the ship's intercom, simultaneously addressing all levels and departments._

_"New captain?" Kirk asked dubiously, furrowing his brow and frowning slightly. What happened to Captain Harris? How did this woman manage to gain control the ship so quickly? Who was she? None of them recognized the voice. None of them except for Khan, that is._

_"It's her." Khan informed them, furrowing his brow slightly._

_"Sylvia Dahl?" Prima asked, furrowing her brow slightly in confusion. "How did she even get onboard?" Before anyone could offer an answer to her question, Dr. Dahl continued her speech._

_"Your captain is dead." She informed the crew coldly. Her velvety voice was completely devoid of even the slightest hint of regret or guilt. "I have taken complete control of this ship from engineering. As we speak, my 'unique' crew is in the process of securing the rest of this vessel. You have three options: surrender, death, or conversion. Resistance is futile."_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 8: Another One Bites The Dust]]**_

* * *

"Conversion?" McCoy asked, furrowing his brow as he frowned in confusion. He definitely didn't like the sound of that, whatever the hell it meant. There was something very ominous about the way that woman had said it, and the doctor was quite certain he did not want to find out why.

"An interesting choice of words." Spock commented calmly, also pondering what it could mean. It implied something more, something worse, than simply forsaking their comrades to join Dr. Dahl in her hostile takeover.

"Whatever it is, we have to stop her." Kirk stated determinedly, clenching his fists.

"We have to let Khan out." Prima said gravely, startling the others.

"You_ can't_ be serious. That's the last thing we need!" Kirk rounded on her. Things were bad enough without a rogue Khan being thrown into the mix.

"Look, we know from the fact that she just listed 'surrender' as an option that she intends to take prisoners, which means the enemy will eventually come here sooner or later. We have no idea how many of them there are total, but there were enough of them to take over a huge ship like this, which means we're outnumbered. 'Death' was also an option, so she obviously has no problem with killing anyone who will try to resist, which is us. Anyone who stays here will only end up being trapped and overwhelmed by an enemy force that will be armed with lethal weapons. Survival is highly unlikely in this situation." Prima explained calmly, laying it on the line for them. "Furthermore, should you decide to leave Khan behind in his cell and take everyone else with you in order to avoid any more sacrifices, what's to stop them from freeing Khan anyway once we're gone? Granted, there is a possibility Dr. Dahl will have decided it's too risky to let him live, but I believe it's more likely she'll try to keep him alive since she seems to have an interest in his blood, and I am _not_ leaving Khan behind to become that woman's personal pincushion. We should take him with _us_." She stated determinedly. She wasn't going to let _anyone_ kill Khan, much less turn him into their personal lab rat.

Khan watched the exchange silently, deciding to let Prima handle the negotiations for his release. They were more likely to accept such a suggestion if it came form her, given the bad blood between himself and the officers of the _Enterprise_. Sure enough, the three men seemed to be considering her words carefully.

"… Prima's logic is sound." Spock admitted reluctantly. "It is difficult to be exact with so many variables still unknown, but I estimate the odds of our survival, should we allow ourselves to be cornered here, to be approximately less than 81,975 to 1."

"Damn." Kirk cursed, frowning with frustration, as he ran a hand through his hair. They were both right, of course, and worse, he hated to even think about what would happen if Dr. Dahl was allowed the opportunity to team up with the dangerous augment. "I guess we don't have much of a choice…"

"Oh, great. That's a brilliant plan." McCoy said sardonically. "There's just one problem. We've tried something like that before, and it did _not_ end well, or had you two forgotten that little detail?" He reminded them, referring to when Kirk had tried to use Khan to capture Admiral Marcus, only to be horribly betrayed in the end.

"That was then, and this is now." Prima cut in bluntly. "The more time we waste arguing about this, the more likely it is that—"

_WOOSH._

Before Prima could even finish that sentence, her terrible premonition had come true. Her eyes widened in shock when an attractive brunette woman and three cybernetic organisms filed into the room. She was stunned and horrified. _She knew those faces._ Though it had been nearly 300 hundred years since she had last laid eyes on them, to Prima, the memory of their faces was just as fresh in her mind as if they had only just been parted from each other the previous day. Khan narrowed his eyes slightly and clenched his jaw, tensing as he came to the same disturbing realization.

Before anyone else in the room even had a chance to react, Marla McGivers had opened fire, stunning the three closest guards and the ensign stationed at the control panel. In the time it took for their bodies to hit the floor, her cyborg entourage proceeded to subdue and incapacitate the remaining three guards before the unfortunate men could even finish drawing their phasers.

"Resistance is futile." The female cyborg of the group droned emotionlessly, keeping her target pinned firmly to the floor with one hand, while she raised the other and held it over the back of his neck. Kirk's eyes widened as he watched two thick, needle-like projections shoot out of the gauntlet on her hand and into the nape of the guard's neck, injecting him with something that began to rapidly spread through his body, turning his veins abnormally dark.

"My God…" McCoy gasped, appalled and horrified as both a fellow human being and a medical professional. He instinctively moved forward to help the seizing man, but Spock held a hand out to stop him. It was too dangerous for them to be in such close proximity to the enemy. They first needed to disable the cyborgs before they could help the security guards.

Kirk was way ahead of both of them. Before the other two cyborgs could inject their own victims, he fired off two shots, hitting both of the male cyborgs square in the chest. But it made little difference. The cyborgs only stayed down for a minute or so before righting themselves. All three of them stood in unison, leaving the unconscious and seizing guards on the floor, choosing instead to shift their focus of attention on the man who had just attacked them.

"Shit!" Kirk cursed, firing his phaser at them again. He had managed to give the other men a stay in their execution, but now they were the ones in danger! The three cyborgs barely even stumbled this time.

"Resistance is futile." They chanted in unison as they began to advance on the remaining humans, completely unperturbed by the attack. Spock and McCoy met with even less success than their captain in their attempts to aide him and subdue the enemy. It seemed like for every shot they fired, the more resilient the cyborgs became, as if they were actively developing an immunity to their phasers.

"Give it up, Captain Kirk. As you can see, phasers are useless against them." Marla declared confidently. "I suggest you stop resisting and drop your weapons, or they might end up 'converting' you, too, by default. Please, trust me when I say it isn't pretty." She added a bit more sympathetically, frowning slightly, as she remembered the disturbing scene she had witnessed take place on the bridge once Sylvia's special cyborgs had arrived to 'cleanse' it. The more resistance they were met with, the more brutal they became. Marla was extremely glad that Sylvia had taken the time to program the cyborgs to register her as an ally and recognize basic commands from her, or she wouldn't have been able to come here in person with them without running the danger of being converted herself just for holding a phaser. But it was worth it, going along with this scheme, if it meant being able to see Khan again.

"I suggest you do as she says, Mr. Kirk." Khan stated calmly, keeping his expression carefully neutral.

"No way!" Kirk protested incredulously. "If you think I'm—"

_"Do it."_ Prima commanded sternly, using a tone that left no room for argument. "You can't beat them on your own in a direct confrontation. They're augments."

"What?" Kirk asked, looking a little startled an bewildered. "How do you know?"

"Is it because of their resistance to being stunned by a phaser?" Spock asked, furrowing his brow slightly, as he calculated the odds of her deduction being correct.

"Because I know them." Prima replied solemnly. She was gripping the extra-durable polymer armrests of her wheelchair so hard, that they were in danger of splintering apart from the pressure. It was painfully frustrating, watching the scene unfolding before her so helplessly. _If only her leg would heal faster!_ "They were all on the _Botany Bay_… One of them happens to be an old friend of mine." She explained, glancing sadly at the female.

"Seriously?" Kirk asked eyeing the ever approaching cyborg augments dubiously. They barely even looked human in their current state. It was a wonder Prima could still recognize them.

"They might have been your friends once upon a time, but not anymore. They've been reprogrammed." Marla informed them. "You can't rely on past sentimentality to save you. All they care about now is fulfilling the functions they have been reprogrammed to do by Sylvia. Your only hope of coming out of this alive and unharmed is to surrender. _Now._" Kirk, McCoy, and Spock all exchanged a brief glance with each other before grudgingly dropping their phasers. To their surprise, the three cyborgs actually came to a halt the moment their weapons hit the floor.

"A wise decision, gentlemen." Marla appraised as she strode quickly but purposefully towards their little group with her phaser aimed straight at Kirk. She stepped past the cyborgs and kicked the three phasers off to the side, out of their reach. "Now, if you wouldn't mind…" She said, nodding her head at the empty cell to the left of Khan's, silently suggesting they enter it without a fuss. "Not so fast, Doctor." Marla said sternly when McCoy moved to start wheeling Prima in with them. "Leave Miss Dempsey where she is. Sylvia has_ other_ plans for her."

Prima furrowed her brow slightly, perturbed by such an ominous statement. She definitely didn't like the sound of that.

"What are you going to do to her?" Kirk asked stubbornly, refusing to move until he knew what they had in store for her. He couldn't just leave Prima there to die. He owed her.

"It's fine. Don't worry about me, Captain." Prima told him calmly. "You should get in the cell with Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock. You'll be safer in there."

"She's right, Captain Kirk. You really should be more concerned about yourself at this point." Marla stated before he could raise another objection. "I'm afraid Miss Dempsey's fate is already sealed, but if you continue to cooperate, you just _might_ be able to improve the circumstances for yourself and your men."

Kirk cast one last reluctant glance back at Prima, silently promising her that this wasn't over, before finally joining his friends in the cell. The moment Kirk was in, Marla hit the button on the side panel to drop the transparent security barrier of corundum-silicate glass, a more malleable and durable cousin of transparent aluminum. Even a man as great as Khan would have great difficulty in generating enough force to stretch such a barrier past its breaking point in order to free himself.

"Hold her." Marla ordered the cyborg augments, gesturing to Prima.

"Hey, watch the leg!" Prima scolded the two males as they each grabbed her by the arm and lifted her out of the wheelchair. Despite her verbal protest, she offered very little physical resistance. "Athena…" Prima said, her expression softening slightly as the female augment approached her. "Don't you recognize me, Athena? Are you still in there?" She whispered urgently.

"Initiating facial recognition software." The female cyborg droned, unfazed by Prima's attempt to make contact with whatever was left of the human part of her. The laser mounted on the side of Athena's cranial implant lit up and began scanning Prima's face.

Khan clenched his fists as he watched. Aside from Kati and himself, Prima had really only been close to two or three other augments. Of them, Athena had always been Prima's favorite. The two girls had been nearly inseparable. If even Prima couldn't get through to her…

"Khan." Marla McGivers called his name softly, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced at the young woman, who was gazing up at him with eyes full of admiration and longing. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come for you." She continued, smiling, now that his attention was focused on her instead of Prima. She was wearing her soft, curly chestnut-colored hair down, just as he had once instructed her to. "I know how you hate to be kept waiting…"

"Yes… but it was worth the wait, since it brought us together again." Khan purred smoothly, smirking slyly at the lieutenant, as he took a step closer to the thin barrier that was separating them. "It has been far too long since I last held you in my arms, hasn't it, Lieutenant McGivers?" Marla practically melted right then and there.

"You can call me 'Marla', you know. We're not at Section 31 anymore." She replied, blushing, as she smiled demurely and giggled like a giddy schoolgirl before finally releasing Khan from his cell. The moment he was free, he swept Marla up in his arms, embracing her in a passionate kiss.

_"What?"_ Kirk silently mouthed at Spock and McCoy. Seriously_!_? Her and Khan_!_? When did he even have time for that? Kirk glanced at Prima and noticed that although she was watching the suddenly amorous exchange between Khan and the Lieutenant with a decidedly uninterested and unimpressed look on her face, her eye seemed to be twitching ever so slightly… She was _not_ a happy camper.

Prima rolled her eyes at the display. Ugh, gag me with a spoon! she thought. It had been a while since she had witnessed it firsthand, so she had been hoping Khan had maybe outgrown his playboy ways, but it seemed he was still just as a much of a player as ever. Why? Because he could. In another life, he and Kirk might have gotten along splendidly as fellow lady-killers.

"Tell me, _Marla_." Khan calmly commanded the dazed and love-struck woman in his arms when they finally came up for air. "What does Dr. Dahl want with Prima?" Marla furrowed her brow slightly in confusion and disappointment. The moment he gets through giving her an amazing kiss like that, he asks about another woman? She frowned, about to give him a piece of her mind, when Athena's monotone voice broke the silence.

"Scan complete. Target identified: Primavera Dempsey." The cyborg augment droned stoically, grabbing Prima by the chin with a vice-like grip with one hand as she raised the other. Prima's eyes widened with realization, recognizing the pose. She didn't need to hear the next sentence to know what was about to happen. "Recommended action: conversion."

Before any of them even had time to blink, Khan dropped Marla like a sack of stale potatoes and ripped Athena away from Prima, tossing her into his empty cell. The younger augment slammed into the back of the cell and fell to the floor, twitching. The harness on her spine had been damaged upon impact. It would seem their new hardware was more fragile than it appeared.

"Duck." He ordered Prima, who did not hesitate to lower her head as far down as possible upon guessing his intentions. The moment her head was down, Khan grabbed the heads of her two captors, one in each hand, and slammed them together.

_CRACK._

A skull fracturing crunch was heard as their heads collided, and their grip on Prima loosened.

"Oomph!" She grunted softly from the impact of being dropped back into her wheelchair.

"Khan!" Marla yelled indignantly from her ungraceful position on the floor, stunned and bewildered, as she watched him proceed to mercilessly throw the two males in with Athena and hit the button to lower the barrier, sealing all three former members of his crew inside, where they could do no harm. "What are you doing_!_?" She cried. "_Khan!_?" To her complete and utter dismay, the man she loved coldly ignored her as he kneeled down in front of the other woman in the wheelchair.

"Are you all right?" Khan asked Prima urgently. His brow was creased heavily with concern for her wellbeing as he began fervently examining her body for any signs of damage.

"Yes. I'm fine, Khan. You saved me." She reassured him, giving him a gentle smile, as she took his frantic, searching hands in her own. "The bruises are already healing, see? More importantly, are _you_ okay?" She asked, furrowing her own brow in concern. She knew it had to be a huge blow and a nasty shock to him to see members of his 'family' butchered and reduced to _that_. It was cruel and inhuman.

"No." Khan responded grimly, pressing his lips into a thin line, as he made an effort to suppress his burning rage. In one swift motion, he turned on his heels and rose to his feet, fixing Marla with a cold, icy glare, that chilled her to the bone. She had never seen Khan so furious before. She was terrified.

"No.. Please, wait…" She pleaded anxiously, trembling, as she inched backwards, cautiously moving away from him. "… Khan, it's _me_…" She reminded him, desperately trying to soothe his ire and prevent him from harming her. "!" Marla yelped in alarm when Khan grabbed her and pushed her up against the control panel. His movements were careful, controlled. He couldn't risk breaking her yet. Not when he still had so many questions that needed to be answered.

"Yes, precisely. It is _you_, so you should _know better_ than to think I would be even the slightest bit pleased to discover my crew being _abused_ in such a way." He practically snarled at her.

"I-It's not what you think!" Marla quickly protested defensively. "It's just the ten whose cryotubes malfunctioned before you were found! Sylvia said they were already brain dead when she began her experiments on them! Marcus wanted her to find a way to assert more precise control over you and your people, so she did. Not only did she create the perfect soldier, but she figured out how to use special nanobots to have them 'infect' and 'convert' enemy soldiers as they fought."

Prima furrowed her brow, frowning. So, that was why Dr. Dahl had wanted Khan's blood… Even if she could find a way to make a corpse move, it was still just a corpse. Unless she could reanimate the body's organic tissue somehow, it would eventually rot away until nothing usable was left. As far as Prima knew, the only thing that could possibly have the potential to regenerate the dead tissue of a necrotic host would be Khan's blood. However, even if Khan's blood could revive them, if they had truly been brain dead for an extended period of time before receiving the small transfusion, then it was highly likely that they had all sustained heavy brain damage. Even Khan's blood could only do so much. Though it was difficult to say how much and to what extent the damage might go, it certainly would explain why even Athena hadn't been able to recognize herself and Khan on a more personal level. They were like living dolls, completely blank and completely under Dr. Dahl's control. Prima gazed sadly at what was left of her old friend. If that were true… if Athena and the others were so brain damaged that they had no idea what was happening to them, then in a twisted way, it might actually be a blessing. At least they wouldn't have to suffer the psychological pain of knowing what was being done to them, and also how completely helpless they were to stop it… Prima would rather die than have to live like that.

"After your plan to smuggle your crew out was discovered, Marcus decided _all_ augments were too dangerous to be allowed to live, and he terminated the project." Marla continued to explain nervously. "They would have been destroyed if she hadn't saved them and hidden them away!"

"You call _that_ being saved_!_?" Khan demanded incredulously, Forcing her to turn her head and look at the three creatures occupying his cell. "_Look at them!_ They've been butchered and turned into abominations—_She enslaved them!_!" He roared furiously. "Why is she doing this_!_? It obviously has something to do with her father's death ten years ago. Tell me. Is it revenge? _Is that what she wants?"_ Khan demanded belligerently, giving the frightened and trembling Marla a good shake.

"Y-Yes…" Marla breathed shakily as tears streamed down her face. "Sylvia only agreed to work with Admiral Marcus in the first place because she wanted a war with the Klingons, too, so when his plan failed…"

"She decided to take matters into her own hands." Khan concluded, finally releasing the distraught lieutenant, allowing her to slump onto the floor.

When she had been brought in to study Khan because of her connections as Sylvia's cousin, Marla had been so excited and thrilled to meet the brilliant and charismatic superman, that she had fallen for his cunning act of seduction hook, line, and sinker. To think she had risked _everything_ just to help him with his attempt to smuggle his crew out in those torpedoes, and now, again, she had agreed to help her crazy cousin and betrayed Starfleet for his sake! She couldn't believe this was the same man she had fallen in love with. Of course, Marla had been shocked when she heard what he did to the Kelvin Archives and so on, but he had a relatively good reason for doing what he did… It's just, until now, she had never thought he would actually try harm _her_… But, as she stared up at his beautifully sculpted face, the murderous rage he felt towards Sylvia, towards _herself_, was so palpable, even Marla couldn't ignore it. _He was going to kill her…!_ Marla flinched, squeezing her eyes shut, as Khan reached for her again.

"Khan." Prima said, stopping him. "She's just a pawn. It's the queen we need to worry about. And I think we owe her a little something for how she's treated our family, don't you?" She asked, smirking wickedly.

Marla watched, absolutely amazed, when the savage expression on Khan's face slowly gave way to a smirk that mirrored Prima's, and though there was still a dangerous edge about him, his dark mood seemed to lighten considerably as he turned to face the other young woman. Marla could feel her heart breaking as she watched the two of them facing each other there, acting as if they were nothing more than friends, when it was painfully obvious that they were so much more. All the time in the world couldn't pry them apart. It wasn't fair. She just didn't understand. She couldn't understand.

"How can you forgive her, but not me…?" Marla found herself asking sadly. "_She's_ the one who betrayed you! She made that virus and forced you and the others to leave Earth in exile!"

"What virus?" McCoy asked, reminding the two superhumans and Marla of his, Kirk's, and Spock's presence. They had all been watching quietly, gauging the situation and trying to learn as much as they could in order to figure out their plan of escape. They hadn't wanted to draw an emotionally disturbed Khan's attention onto themselves while they were still trapped like rats if it could be helped, but the doctor just couldn't help himself after hearing the 'V' word being thrown around.

"You used germ warfare to defeat Khan?" Spock asked, finding he actually felt himself surprised to discover that Prima would choose to use such a dangerous and indiscriminate weapon. She had not struck him as the type to allow innocent civilians to put in harm's way, as something as hard to control as the spread of a virus would undoubtedly do.

"Yes, and no…" Prima replied a bit cryptically, frowning slightly. "It's true I made a virus, but it's bit more complicated than that…"

"No, it isn't—You betrayed Khan and all of the other augments, too!" Marla insisted angrily. Prima raised an eyebrow. Clearly, the lieutenant had decided to take her own personal failure to keep Khan's affections out on her. Well, Prima couldn't really blame her for being upset, since it was easy to guess that Khan had probably been using her, and she was already used to dealing with disgruntled exes coming at her, so whatever. She didn't get why they always seemed to blame her, though… Maybe they just felt safer going after her because she looked like an easier target.

"Lieutenant, please. Don't be a bitch to me, because then I'll have to be a bitch back, and trust me—I can do it much better than you." Prima stated calmly, leaning back in her wheelchair like a boss. "Anyway, we should probably get moving before someone shows up to see what's taking these guys so long to secure the brig. Let's just toss her in another cell, let the three musketeers over there out, and skedaddle." She suggested, turning to Khan, who was frowning with displeasure and glaring rather harshly at Marla for her attempt to throw Prima under the bus. Khan raised an eyebrow as he glanced back at Prima.

"By 'three musketeers', I assume you are referring to Mr. Kirk and his two officers… Are you sure you want to let them out?" He asked her. "They look like they're having second thoughts about you, and I would personally just as soon leave them there."

"Hey!" Kirk snapped indignantly. They had better _not_ leave them there.

"Yeah, because we need Dr. McCoy to take a look at those three," Prima said, nodding at the three cyborgs in the cell, "and that 'converted' guard that's drooling on the floor, so we can find out whether there's a chance of saving them or not. I'd rather not have to kill members of the only family I have left if can help it, and if we can reverse the conversion process, then we won't have to fight as many enemies. Since we're already taking the doc, why not make it a complete set?" She suggested, blithely, trying to lighten things up a bit. Now wasn't the time to mope and angst about what had happened to their comrades. They could mourn them and settle other grudges latter.

Right now they had a situation to handle and asses to kick.


	10. What Wonderful World

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"By 'three musketeers', I assume you are referring to Mr. Kirk and his two officers… Are you sure you want to let them out?" He asked her. "They look like they're having second thoughts about you, and I would personally just as soon leave them there."_

_"Hey!" Kirk snapped indignantly. They had better not leave them there._

_"Yeah, because we need Dr. McCoy to take a look at those three," Prima said, nodding at the three cyborgs in the cell, "and that 'converted' guard that's drooling on the floor, so we can find out whether there's a chance of saving them or not. I'd rather not have to kill members of the only family I have left if can help it, and if we can reverse the conversion process, then we won't have to fight as many enemies. Since we're already taking the doc, why not make it a complete set?" She suggested, blithely, trying to lighten things up a bit. Now wasn't the time to mope and angst about what had happened to their comrades. They could mourn them and settle other grudges latter._

_Right now they had a situation to handle and asses to kick._

* * *

_**[[Chapter 9: What A Wonderful World]]**_

* * *

**Somewhere in Northern India:  
The Chrysalis Project, [exact location top-secret]  
March 26, 1986 **

"Khan~!" A twelve-year-old Prima called out cheerfully, smiling brightly, as she ran up to greet the older boy. It was all the warning he had before she threw herself onto his back, glomping him. A lesser man or augment would have stumbled, or possibly even been knocked over by the force she had launched herself at him with, but Khan took it all in stride, not even flinching. He had long since grown used to how over-affectionate and strange his little Prima could be. "Happy 22nd birthday!" She sang cheerfully, grinning, as she released him and pulled a colorfully wrapped present out of her messenger bag, handing it to him. Although this had become an annual ritual for them once Prima had discovered the actual date of his birth, Khan found himself somewhat surprised this year. Prima's usual presents to him were books she thought he might find interesting, such as an anthology which included essays like Thoreau's _Civil Disobedience_, Ray Bradbury's _Fahrenheit 451_, Harper Lee's _To Kill A Mocking Bird_, Kurt Vonnegut's _Slaughterhouse-Five_, and other books on various topics that were not usually allowed in the classroom. They had all been rather interesting reads, actually. Prima had interesting taste for someone so young. But this year's present, judging by its size and weight, was something else entirely. Prima watched eagerly as he unwrapped his present. Khan blinked, somewhat taken aback, when he saw what it was. For some reason, Prima had chosen to give him clothing this year. It was a simple, inexpensive outfit, which consisted of the same traditional Indian men's clothing he was used to wearing on a daily basis as part of the 'uniform' all of the augments created by Dr. Kaur wore, only instead of the usual red and white with gold accents, the kurta was a deep blue, and the churidars were grey. The material also appeared to be homespun and of a lesser quality than he was used to, but when he felt the cotton fabric, it was surprisingly soft. There was even a pair of unembellished jutti slippers included.

"What is this?" Khan mused when he noticed the previously hidden photograph that was taped to the bottom of the box. It was a picture of a clear, deep blue sky. Nothing else, just an empty sky.

"That's your main present." Prima replied, grinning. "You said you've never seen the real thing before, right? So, I decided. This year, I'm giving you the sky!" She declared grandly, spreading her arms wide, as she stood and did a little twirl. Khan raised an eyebrow. He glanced between the plain clothes in his hands, the photograph, and the exuberant Prima.

"You cannot be serious." He said, furrowing his brow slightly, upon realizing her intentions. While he was curious about the world outside Chrysalis, which he and the other augments had only seen in pictures and heard of through secondhand accounts from their tutors and the scientists around them, Prima could get herself into serious trouble for this if they were caught. He had no desire to see what kind of punishment his mother would prepare for the girl. The two of them didn't exactly get along, even at the best of times.

"Oh, but I am." Prima replied, grinning confidently at him. "Don't worry, I've been planning this for months. It's the perfect time to pull it off, since most of the adults, including our parents, are off attending that special convention, and it's a holiday, so 'school' has been canceled for both of us. If we can get past security, then we're home free! They'll never even know we were gone."

"And just how do you propose we get past the security cameras and the guards?" Khan asked skeptically. This ought to be good.

"I've got everything we need in here." Prima replied, patting her bag. "But first, we need to go to your place so you can change. I'll explain in further detail once we're out of the camera's line of sight." She added, nodding subtly at the camera mounted on the ceiling behind him. "It'll help us establish an alibi, too."

—∞—

Prima began to hum _I Want To Break Free_ by Queen, while tapping her fingers against the kitchen counter, trying to distract herself from how nervous she was feeling sitting there all by herself in the middle of the lion's den while she waited for Khan to finish changing. This wasn't the first time she had come to Dr. Kaur's personal apartment, which she shared with Khan, but the place still made her nervous since the two of them didn't exactly get along, and the whole place (aside from Khan's room) emanated the same severe and forbidding vibes as its primary owner. It was no surprise Khan had started spending less and less of his time there. It felt like a mausoleum for creative thinking and self-expression… or maybe a monument to the woman's draconian pretentiousness. It was hard to say which would be worse. Both concepts seemed equally depressing and oppressive to Prima. That was probably why they couldn't stand each other. Prima liked to run with scissors and color outside the lines, and this carefree expression of individuality just didn't mesh well with Dr. Kaur's neat and tidy little world. Quite frankly, the woman hated Prima's guts. Everyone knew it. The real mystery was why she kept allowing Prima back into Chrysalis. It was probably because they figured that if Khan and the other augments could handle getting along with an odd child like Prima, then interacting with regular humans who were actually _normal_ would be a piece of cake for them later on.

"All right. I'm ready to hear whatever brilliant plan you have in mind for our great escape." Khan announced drolly as he strolled into the room. The shirt was a little snug on his broad shoulders, but other than that Prima had done a rather good job selecting the proper size clothing for him. Prima smiled as she turned to face him, pleased with her handiwork.

"Wow. You should wear blue more often, it really makes your eyes pop. Brings out the blue in them." She commented. Normally the red and white uniform he and Dr. Kaur's other augments had to wear around the complex made his eyes look more like they were a smoldering grey or a sharp green, depending on the lighting and his mood. Prima loved how beautiful Khan's eyes were, but they were mesmerizingly dangerous. A girl could drown in them if she wasn't careful.

Khan smirked, pleased with the compliment. Then he noticed all of the papers Prima had spread out on the counter. It would seem she really had been planning for months. She had time tables for when the guards changed shifts and where, calculations for projected camera angles and blind spots, the cameras' refresh rates, and so on. Not bad for a twelve-year-old.

"How did you manage to acquire all of this information?" He asked curiously. Even though he was granted access to a one or two levels that were restricted to the rest of the augments, Khan's movements were still carefully guarded, and any attempt to test the boundaries placed upon him had been met with certain… preventative measures… However, judging by the data she had gathered and the maps she had drawn out, Prima's freedom and range of movement within the Chrysalis complex was actually even greater than his own, as she had information for several levels both above and below the ones he had access to.

"It was simple, really." Prima stated modestly. "I made friends with a couple of the security guards in charge of watching the cameras. I found their station by accident back when I first came here. I used to get lost all the time, remember? Since it was easier to find you and my dad by checking the security cameras, I got in the habit of going in and taking a peek. I started bribing them by bringing food and coffee when randomly popping in on them stopped being cute."

"Cute?" Khan asked, smiling slightly with bemusement.

"Yes, cute. After all, I'm just a harmless, sweet little girl. What kind of threat could_ I_ possibly pose?" Prima said sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes exaggeratedly, as she flashed him an impish grin. "I haven't been watching reruns of _Mission Impossible_ for nothing, you know."

"Heh, you really are a piece of work." Khan told her, smirking proudly. Though it did concern him that the people responsible for their safety could be so easily tricked and lulled into a false sense of security… But, speaking of not taking things seriously… "Prima, you _do_ understand you're taking a great risk by doing this, don't you?" Khan asked, concerned.

"Yes, I know… but I want to show it to you." She said resolutely, raising her head to meet his gaze. "You're always stuck down here. It's about time you had some fun under the sun! And It's not just the sky I want to show you. I didn't just pick this year to sneak out because of the convention. That was just a happy coincidence. If we're going to break out of here, I want it to be worth the risk. I want to show you an India that's beautiful and happy—like how it is during the Holi Festival." She said, grinning brightly. And this year the main celebration just happened to fall on the same date as Khan's birthday.

"I thought Holi was a religious holiday for Hindus." Khan said, furrowing his brow slightly. Well, at least her decision to give him these plain clothes made a bit more sense now. Holi was known as 'the festival of colors' for a reason. During the festivities, the participants would throw colored powders and waters at each other. He needed an outfit that wouldn't be missed should it end up being ruined by color stains. Come to think of it, the yellow and green cotton Punjabi-style shalwar kameez set that Prima was sporting today also appeared to be on the less expensive end of her wardrobe's scale.

"Yes, but everyone is Hindu on Holi Day." Prima explained, smiling wryly. For someone who was born and raised in India, Khan didn't seem to know too many details about its culture… Neither did most of the other augments, come to think of it. It was probably because their education was focused more on the sciences, languages, and maths than on culture and arts. Besides, there were some lessons that just couldn't be learned in a classroom. They had to be lived. "It's kind of like how everyone in America suddenly becomes Irish on St. Patrick's Day."

Khan didn't look too convinced, probably because he had never been to a St. Patrick's Day parade, either. He was so deprived.

"Okay. Since there's no cameras until the end of this hallway, thanks to your mother's paranoid penchant for privacy, if we take advantage of when the cameras flicker during the refresh rate, then we should be able to get past them without being seen by hiding in these blind spots while we wait for the right time. If we can pull this off, then it'll look like we never even left, and they'll assume we're still hanging out at your place." Prima said, jumping right into the explanation of her plan as she pointed out key points on the map. "I noticed they didn't bother putting any cameras in the emergency stairwell that leads from this level to the surface, probably because the door at the top only opens from the inside. It's meant for use in evacuations, so it leads directly outside the building. It locks automatically behind you if you let it close all the way, but I found out the old A.B.C. gum-in-the-lock trick will prevent that from happening, so we can just get back inside the same way we came. We won't even have to worry about sneaking past the guards on the ground level, because the Chrysalis project's security ends a few yards outside the elevator for it. Even though they're paranoid about the security for the project, they want to keep up a pretense of appearing like a small, normal, research and development center for a British-American pharmaceutical company." There was more than one entrance to the underground facilities, but for their purposes, the one in the city would be best, since it would make it easier to blend in right away once they were out, and put them right in the middle of the local festivities.

"That is brilliantly simple." Khan praised her. "As long as we make it back before the evening roll call, no one will ever know we left. Kati will wonder where we were all day, but as long as we bring a souvenir back for her, she won't say a word."

—∞—

The moment the door to the outside world opened up before him, Khan had to shield his eyes. It was so bright, so blinding, that it took even his superior eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden change. The warmth of the sun and the dry, North Indian spring air washed over him like an invisible wave. The heat felt phenomenal, almost physical in its intensity, but not intolerable. Khan estimated the temperature to be around 32 °C, a small but significant change compared to the constant room temperature of 21 °C that he had become accustomed to over the past twenty two years. As his vision adjusted to the brilliant daylight, Khan gradually became aware of many other new and exciting sensations, such as the many foreign and exotic sounds and smells floating on the breeze, surrounding them from every direction. A short distance away, he could hear the noise of a crowd. People were conversing loudly, singing, and shouting animatedly at the top of their lungs in various languages and dialects of Rajasthani, such as the local Marwari, Hindi, and even the occasional English phrase. Drums were beating, carving out a rhythm for the people to dance to while various musicians joined in, bringing life to the crowded streets.

The first and most obvious scent to assault Khan's sensitive nose was the sharp stink of sewage coming from an open drain near the alley he now found himself standing in. While Khan had been fully aware that some parts of the world, including areas of India, lacked proper sanitation and waste disposal services and facilities, it was not something he had expected to encounter so close to the sterile facilities of the Chrysalis Project. Khan was quite certain many of the passersby had also never head of deodorant, judging by the offensive body odor emanating from some of them. The scent of carbon monoxide clung to the air, mingling with the smell of livestock—cows, goats, sheep, and even a brightly painted elephant could be spotted from their current position. But, thankfully, these unpleasant aromas were not the only scents pervading the air, nor were they the most powerful. As his nose adjusted to the more unpleasant stenches, he found himself bombarded by much more pleasant and profound scents. Like the smell of jasmine flowers. Jasmine and many other seasonal blooms were hanging in great garlands from the surrounding buildings, cloaking the local homes and businesses in beautiful colors and perfumes. Many of the women also wore strings of jasmine flowers in their hair. It was a sweet, intoxicating scent. There was the smell of clothes. The vegetable dyes used in the clothes, like the outfit Prima had just given him, had a strong, earthy smell. Another quintessential smell was the scent of burned incense wafting out of the open windows and doors of shops and homes from the morning pujas, offerings to various deities. And, of course, there were also the savory and sweet aromas of various mouthwatering festival foods. Just standing there, experiencing so many new things at once, was putting the superhuman on sensory overload. Everything was so intense, so fresh, so overpowering—_so alive_… He had thought he was prepared, that nothing could shake him, but he was wrong. Learning about something from a distance and experiencing it firsthand were two entirely different experiences. Things he had once thought to be completely inconsequential and separate from himself were suddenly springing forth and taking on a life of their own right in front of him. The experience felt somewhat surreal, almost spiritual, even… as if he had just been reborn.

"Come on, Khan!" Prima said suddenly, grinning excitedly, as she grabbed his hand and proceeded to lead him out of the sparse alley to join the rest of the world around them in their merrymaking. Khan's eyes widened slightly in amazement as he took in all of the unfamiliar sights around him.

Color. Everywhere he looked there was color, rich and vibrant. Men, women, children, people of all ages and sexes were adorned in fabrics of brilliant hues. The people of India were a living, breathing rainbow. Stalls and vendors lined the sides of the roads, displaying colored _gulal_ powders of the most vibrant yellows, pinks, peacock, blues, greens, red, orange, saffron—you name it, they had it.

And then, Prima surprised Khan by making a rather abrupt left turn, taking him down a street lined with houses that reflected the clear, blue skies above.

"This way!" Prima instructed him, pulling him up a flight of steps built into the side of one of the deeper hued houses. Up and up they climbed, until they reached the top and stepped onto the roof. "Happy birthday, Khan~!" She sang cheerfully, giving him a cheerful smile that was even more brilliant than the sun itself, as she finally released his hand and spread her arms wide across the vast and infinite blue sky that he now had a perfect, uninterrupted view of. Khan was in awe. Standing there, staring up at the real thing, Khan found himself speechless, and possibly even humbled to stand beneath something so beautiful and endless. And, yet, despite having made him feel so small in comparison, there was something about that eternal, unending blue that lifted his spirit, that set him free. No photograph could ever compare, could ever even begin to do justice to what he was seeing and feeling while standing there on that rooftop.

"So, did I do good?" Prima asked hopefully. Khan smiled softly at her as he took her hand in his, pulling her into a strong, warn, and gentle embrace.

"Yes. You did well. You did very well, Prima." He told her, careful to keep his voice even and steady, despite how emotionally overwhelmed he was suddenly feeling. _"Thank you."_


	11. Paint it Black

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"This way!" Prima instructed him, pulling him up a flight of steps built into the side of one of the deeper hued houses. Up and up they climbed, until they reached the top and stepped onto the roof. "Happy birthday, Khan~!" She sang cheerfully, giving him a cheerful smile that was even more brilliant than the sun itself, as she finally released his hand and spread her arms wide across the vast and infinite blue sky that he now had a perfect, uninterrupted view of. _

_Khan was in awe. Standing there, staring up at the real thing, Khan found himself speechless, and possibly even humbled to stand beneath something so beautiful and endless. And, yet, despite having made him feel so small in comparison, there was something about that eternal, unending blue that lifted his spirit, that set him free. No photograph could ever compare, could ever even begin to do justice to what he was seeing and feeling while standing there on that rooftop._

_"So, did I do good?" Prima asked hopefully. Khan smiled softly at her as he took her hand in his, pulling her into a strong, warn, and gentle embrace._

_"Yes. You did well. You did very well, Prima." He told her, careful to keep his voice even and steady, despite how emotionally overwhelmed he was suddenly feeling. "Thank you."_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 10: Paint it Black]]**_

* * *

**Stardate: 2259.76  
The brig of the _USS Excalibur_**

Prima's brow was furrowed heavily with concern as she watched the good doctor examine poor cyborg Athena while Khan kept her restrained for him. It wasn't difficult, seeing as he was already significantly stronger than her to begin with, even before the harness on her back had been damaged, leaving her movements severely limited. The really tricky part had been removing her from the cell without letting the other two cyborgs get the jump on him. They had Marla help with that. Well, actually they kind of forced her into helping them. Khan had Prima hold a phaser to Marla's back, where the cyborgs couldn't see or recognize it as a weapon, and then they had the lieutenant command the other cyborgs to stand clear while Khan removed Athena. Then they made Marla switch places with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. So, everybody was right where they should be. Now they just had to wait while McCoy and Khan finished analyzing Athena and the guard who was unfortunate enough to get 'converted'. As much as it pained Prima to admit it, she knew the chances of being able to save her friend were very miniscule, but maybe it wasn't too late for the guard, since he hadn't been brain dead for a for a century or two, or given any freaky implants.

"I can't believe he actually let us out…" Kirk remarked quietly as he and Spock watched from the sidelines. Kirk didn't know whether he should feel relieved or freaked out by Khan's sudden change for the better. He almost seemed…_ normal_… when he was with Prima. It was too weird. How could she get a man as dangerous as Khan to listen to her like that? Why was he so protective of her? Like Lieutenant McGivers pointed out, didn't she betray Khan in the past? It just didn't make any sense…

"Indeed, Captain. It appears Miss Dempsey's presence has a very curious effect on Khan." Spock stated calmly, recalling how easily the dangerous man had agreed to surrender to them after a few words from Prima.

"If she's supposed to have betrayed him, then why do the two of them still seem to get along so well?" Kirk wondered aloud.

"Um, you know I can hear pretty much every word you guys are saying, right?" Prima spoke up, glancing over her shoulder at them.

"You can?" Kirk asked, impressed, but slightly chagrined they'd been caught.

"Yep." Prima said, nodding her head. "Superhuman hearing, remember? If you want to know something, you can just ask. Granted, I might not answer you, depending on how personal it is, but I'd much prefer it if you'd just ask me instead of speculating and jumping to conclusions, deal?"

"Okay. Then, I'll get straight to the point. What exactly _is_ your relationship with Khan, and what was that about a virus earlier?"

Prima glanced at Khan. What were they? Even she wasn't entirely sure. They were something more than friends, that much was obvious, but what? She was pretty sure Khan still saw her as a cute but sometimes annoying little sister, due to their age difference, but she… well, her feelings for him weren't so easily defined.

"… I guess you could say we're kind of like a small gang." Prima said after a moment of silence. "Like, we're not related by blood, but we're still 'family' in a way. We fight sometimes, but we also protect each other. It's a simple, deep bond, but at the same time, it's kind of hard to explain…" She added, smiling softly, as she glanced at Khan again.

"Yeah… I think I understand, a little." Kirk said, smiling slightly at her. She loved him. Plain and simple. Though Kirk couldn't understand what the attraction to that kitten killer was, he felt he could understand her feelings towards Khan as 'family'. "So, this virus the lieutenant mentioned… Is that what you were trying to tell me and Bones about earlier, before we were interrupted by Captain Harris?" He asked, referring to Marla, whose cell had been muted so they wouldn't have to listen to her rant about what a bastard Khan was or how Prima was a traitorous bitch.

"Yes, actually, that is precisely what I was trying to tell you about." Prima said, her smile faltering a little. "I said I wasn't proud of what I did, and now you know why. Are either of you familiar with the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918?"

"I recall reading something on the subject while I was studying Earth history. Most influenza outbreaks disproportionately kill juvenile, elderly, or weakened patients who have already been weakened by some other cause. In contrast, the 1918 pandemic killed predominantly previously healthy young adults." Spock stated calmly. "It was later determined, by studying samples of the virus taken from the bodies of frozen victims, that the virus killed its victims via a cytokine storm."

"Right." Prima said, nodding in approval. "A cytokine storm, also known as cytokine cascade or hyper-cytokinemia, is a potentially fatal immune reaction consisting of a positive feedback loop between cytokines and immune cells, with highly elevated levels of various cytokines." She explained for Kirk's benefit upon see the slightly confused look on his face. "The strong immune reactions of young adults ravaged the body, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults resulted in fewer deaths among those groups. I designed and engineered a new version of the virus to be used specifically against all of us genetically enhanced humans with heightened immune systems. The stronger your immune system, the stronger your body's reaction to the virus would be, and the more fatal."

"I see. So, you took one of the augments' greatest strengths and turned it into their Achilles' heel?" Kirk said, rather impressed.

"But the virus could still have an adverse effect on the regular human population, would it not?" Spock pointed out. "If memory serves, the original Spanish Flu infected 500 millionpeople across the world, including remote Pacific islands and the Arctic, and killed 50 to 100 million of them—3 to 5 percent of the world's population at the time—making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history."

"Yes, you are absolutely correct, Mr. Spock." Prima replied grimly. "That's why I was very careful to make sure they had a working vaccine to distribute to the regular human population before I let anyone know about the new virus, just in case, but playing God is a dangerous business. A lot can go wrong. I'm sure there were some people who never got the vaccine in time, especially in the more impoverished parts of the world. There was a small chance the virus might possibly mutate on its own… Whatever deaths might have resulted from the use of that virus—intentional or otherwise—Their blood is on my hands. I'm the one who created it. I didn't pull the trigger, but I loaded the gun." She explained regretfully.

"Wait, if you didn't pull the trigger, then who did?" Kirk asked, casting a suspicious glance at Khan.

"Probably the government." Prima stated. "They're the ones I sold it to."

"You sold the virus?" Spock asked, feeling somewhat disappointed in her. He had begun to trust Prima and thought she was above something of that nature.

"It was more of a trade, really. I used the virus to barter with the government for the prototype of a long-distance space travel sleeper ship and the assurance that Khan and his crew would be allowed to leave Earth safe and unharmed before the virus was unleashed. I gave them the vaccine first so they could start inoculating the general population, as a sign of good faith." She explained. "You see, I never intended to use the virus on Khan and the others, but I needed something to ensure his and everyone else's cooperation. My father and Khan had a falling out over their political ideals, which put them on opposite sides of the war. I knew it was only a matter of time before the people began turning against Khan, and even if the augments are superior to average humans individually, they still had us grossly outnumbered. Eventually, after a number of great casualties, Khan and the others would have been overwhelmed and lost. I couldn't stand the though of two of the most important people in my life fighting to the death like that, so I made a decision, one of the hardest ones I've ever had to make. I decided I would protect both of them, even if meant I had to get my hands dirty, and even if it meant making Khan hate me. He can be so proud and stubborn. I knew He wouldn't listen to me if I asked him to turn tail and run, that he wouldn't want to believe the augments could ever lose, so I had to become the bad guy and use the virus to blackmail him into leaving with the others before it was too late. I had hoped giving the normal humans an Achilles' heel to use against the augment despots in other parts of the world would hasten the end of the war, for my father's sake if nothing else."

"If you had a vaccine and thought Khan would hate you, then why were you on his ship?" Kirk asked curiously. Why not just use the vaccine herself and stay on Earth with her father? While the idea that Prima had created a biological weapon just to help Khan was disconcerting to say the least, the fact that she seemed genuinely remorseful for what she had done, accepted responsibility for it, that she had at least tried to ensure it would be used for good, and that as many innocent people as possible would be saved were all points in her favor in his eyes. She hadn't wanted to kill anyone. She hadn't enjoyed it. She was just trying to protect the people she cared about.

"About that… I'm still a little bit confused about that part myself." She admitted, smiling self-deprecatingly. "I had originally planned to stay behind and take my chances with the virus. I was going to make myself 'patient zero' and spread it that way. I didn't think it would be fair for me to be the only augment who would survive, and I wasn't so naïve as to think the other humans wouldn't eventually turn on me and start to view me as a possible threat once all the other augments were gone. I didn't think there would be any real peace on Earth until every genetically enhanced human, living incarnations of all the controversies that had started the Eugenics Wars, were completely wiped out. I didn't think they would stop until that goal had been achieved, so I wanted to at least have the option of ending my life on my own terms. In my experience, you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

That's what had happened to Khan. The people had welcomed him with open arms at first. In a time of political instability and war, they had wanted a strong leader who could actually deliver on his promise of peace. He was the best of tyrants. Unlike the augments who seized power in other parts of the world, Khan only fought when provoked, and his empire experienced a period of peace and nonviolence within it that set it apart from all of the others. But there was no freedom. In his quest to create a place where he, the other augments, and normal humans could live together without turmoil and strife, he had created a gilded cage. And a cage, no matter how pleasant, was still a cage. And therein lied the problem. Humans, as a race, hated being caged. They always rebelled against it sooner or later. The human spirit was indomitable.

"But Khan had other plans." Prima continued explaining to Kirk. "I'm not sure why, but he listed my presence on the ship as one of his conditions for leaving quietly. At the time, I thought it was because he was mad at me, and he was just saving my punishment for later. I'm surprised he forgave me so easily. That man can really hold a grudge." She admitted, glancing at Khan out the corner of her eye. Perhaps being awake for a whole year had given him enough time to think about it and cool off…

"I'm sorry." Dr. McCoy said, grabbing everyone's attention. "But there's nothing I can do for your friend." Informed Prima regretfully, glancing up at her. Unfortunately, Prima's friends were too far gone to be saved, and even if they could, there wouldn't be much left to save anyway. According to the portable medical scanner McCoy always carried around with him, the three cyborgs were vegetables. Without the cybernetic implants to control them, they would be classic coma patients. The fact that they could talk and walk at all was a testimony to Dr. Dahl's genius as a scientist and engineer, even if she was madder than a March hare.

"Damn. I was afraid of that." Prima said morosely, biting her lip.

Khan clenched his jaw and his sharp eyes blazed with frustration and fury, but his anger was not directed at McCoy. He had observed the doctor closely while he was working, and knew he really had done everything he could to determine what could be done for Athena. Neither he nor Prima wanted to accept it, but part of them had already known there was nothing they could do for Athena and the others. It was maddening, being unable to do anything to save people who were so important to them.

"Did she suffer… Is she in any pain, Doctor?" Prima asked tentatively, dreading the answer.

"I don't know. It's difficult to tell with her body's central nervous system being controlled and regulated by those implants and the nano-machines inside her blood. I'd imagine that can't be a very pleasant sensation, having so much inert material floating around in the body." McCoy replied frankly, frowning. "But I don't believe she's capable of being aware of what's happening to her in her current state. The lights are on, but nobody's home."

"That is one small mercy…" Khan stated grimly. "If we can't save her, then we should at least put her out of her misery."

"Now, hold on a minute—" Kirk began, not liking where this was going.

"Athena and the rest of my people are _proud_." Khan stated pointedly, cutting the captain off before he could launch into some sanctimonious and self-righteous speech. Of course Khan didn't want to kill the others—_they were his family_—but, sadly, in this case it had to be done. It was for their own good. "They would rather _die_ than be left to suffer such indignities."

A heavy silence fell over the room as Khan's words sunk in. They knew he was right. They could all relate to the nightmare of having to make such a difficult choice. And, while it felt wrong to kill someone who was a victim themselves, they also recognized that none of them would want to have to endure that kind of torturous existence either…

"… I'll do it." Prima spoke up bravely, steeling her nerves. Athena was her friend. The least she could do was to put her to rest.

"Prima…" Khan began, concerned, but Prima shook her head.

"I don't want my least memory of Athena to be watching you snap her neck, for whatever reason." Prima said sadly, closing her eyes as she fought back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She didn't want that image in her mind, even if she knew he was doing it for Athena's own good. It would haunt her. "Captain, Mr. Spock… I would deeply appreciate it if you could help me move from my wheelchair to the floor. It's awkward and hard to move with this splint on my leg."

"Yeah, of course." Kirk replied somberly as he and Spock moved into position, acting as her human crutches until she was lowered safely to the floor, beside Athena's head.

"I'm sorry, Athena…" Prima apologized to her dear friend, placing her hands gently on both sides of her head. A lone tear escaped, falling down Prima's cheek, landing on Athena's forehead. "Goodbye."

_CRRAAACK!_

The sharp, disturbing sound of metal and bone breaking echoed throughout the brig as Prima suddenly tightened her grip and snapped Athena's neck, harness and all, in one, swift and fluid motion. With the brain disconnected from the spinal cord and unable to send commands to the rest of the body, it was a mere matter of seconds before Athena's body breathed its last breath and finally stilled completely, for the last time. Prima couldn't help herself. The damn broke and hot, angry tears of frustration and grief began streaming down her face as she stared down into Athena's cold, dead eyes. Although Khan was reluctant to show any behavior that could be construed as weakness on his part in front his old enemies, he could not refrain from wrapping an arm around Prima's trembling shoulders and pulling her close in an attempt to comfort her. Even though tears were falling from her eyes, and her petite, slender body was shaking, he knew Prima was doing her best to contain her grief and anger over the loss of a beloved friend. His grip on her shouldered tightened. _This was unforgivable...!_!

"Well, Mr. Kirk. Since I am now officially invested in hunting down and defeating Dr. Dahl…" Khan said evenly, his jaw tensing from the effort of maintaining a calm façade despite his rage. "… It would seem that we, once again, find ourselves sharing a common enemy. Now, you can either work with me, or you can stay the hell out of my way. Which is it going to be?" He asked pointedly, glancing up at the young captain. His deep, resonant voice had a dangerous edge to it, and there was a dark, predatory gleam in his eye. By butchering Khan's crew, Sylvia Dahl had opened Pandora's box and unleashed a real monster.

_And he was coming for her._


	12. One Way or Another

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_Although Khan was reluctant to show any behavior that could be construed as weakness on his part in front his old enemies, he could not refrain from wrapping an arm around Prima's trembling shoulders and pulling her close in an attempt to comfort her. Even though tears were falling from her eyes, and her petite, slender body was shaking, he knew Prima was doing her best to contain her grief and anger over the loss of a beloved friend. His grip on her shouldered tightened. This was unforgivable...!_

_"Well, Mr. Kirk. Since I am now officially invested in hunting down and defeating Dr. Dahl…" Khan said evenly, his jaw tensing from the effort of maintaining a calm façade despite his rage. "… It would seem that we, once again, find ourselves sharing a common enemy. Now, you can either work with me, or you can stay the hell out of my way. Which is it going to be?" He asked pointedly, glancing up at the young captain. His deep, resonant voice had a dangerous edge to it, and there was a dark, predatory gleam in his eye. By butchering Khan's crew, Sylvia Dahl had opened Pandora's box and unleashed a real monster._

_And he was coming for her._

* * *

_**[[Chapter 11: One Way or Another]]**_

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Kirk glanced back at Prima, whom was being carried in a piggyback ride by Khan, while he had Spock and Kirk lead the way to med bay. Poor McCoy was stuck in the middle of the odd company, pushing Prima's wheelchair, which now held the 'converted' security guard. She had stopped crying, but her expression was grim and determined as she rested her chin on Khan's shoulder, leaning her head up against the crook of his neck. The easy, ever-present and cheerful smile they had all grown accustomed to was gone. Her expression reminded him the one he had seen staring back at him in the mirror after Pike's death. The anger, the grief, the rage… It was all there, bubbling just beneath the surface, but there was also a quiet dignity about the way she held herself, like the calm before a storm. Her emotions were intense, but she was keeping careful control over them. Aside from his fierce, smoldering eyes, Khan had adopted a stoic façade, like the cold steel of a sharpened blade. However, having Prima so close seemed to calm him somewhat. Perhaps carrying her helped to serve as a reminder that he had been able to get at least one thing back.

"So… Care to let us in on the plan?" Kirk ventured bravely, addressing Khan. To be honest, the heavy silence was starting to get really uncomfortable, and while they had agreed to cooperate with the dangerous augment for now, Khan had yet to let them in on whatever brilliant plan he had most likely concocted. The only thing Kirk could be sure of was that whatever happened, things would not end well for Dr. Dahl.

"First, we are moving to the sickbay." Khan stated crisply. "There, as previously decided before leaving the brig, Dr. McCoy will conduct a much closer examination of our less fortunate guard, while we procure more effective weapons." Though it made the majority of their small group feel uneasy to walk around unarmed, they had elected to leave their phasers behind in the brig, since the cyborgs appeared to be programmed to recognize anyone carrying one on their person as an enemy and a threat to be neutralized and/or converted. Since they had no effect other than to attract trouble, it would undoubtedly do them more harm than good to keep them, but they also recognized the need to obtain solid weapons the others could use to help make up for their lack of superhuman strength, or in Prima's case, injuries. Khan estimated it would take at least another half an hour for her leg to finish healing, given her unfortunate tendency to heal at a slower rate than him..

"You will find no weapons in the med bay." Spock felt compelled to point out.

"Yeah, unlike in the past, we 23rd century doctors don't butcher our patients with saws and scalpels anymore." McCoy added a bit tersely. "It's a sickbay, not a torture chamber."

"But there will be furniture and various chemicals won't there?" Prima asked, joining the conversation. "We can use stuff like that to make improvised weapons and homemade bombs."

"No kidding?" Kirk asked curiously, smiling ruefully back at her. Khan knowing that kind of stuff was one thing, but Prima?

"Yeah. It's just basic chemistry." Prima replied, shrugging. It seemed Kirk and the others were too used to relying on all of their fancy futuristic gadgets if they couldn't make the simple leap to such a primitive but effective means of creating their own improvised weapons.

"Heh. When you said you hated math, I never thought you'd end up being such a nerd." Kirk teased her, smirking.

"I prefer 'intellectual badass', thank you very much." Prima replied smartly, returning his smirk. "Anyway depending on what goodies they've got stored away, we might be able to make tear gas, smoke screens, and flash grenades in addition to a plain explosives… Oh, what if we made a nail bomb using the screws from whatever furniture we end up dismantling?" She suggested.

"Perhaps... It would be shame to let anything go to waste." Khan said thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly at Kirk. Although he disliked the fact that Prima was fraternizing with the enemy so easily, he knew that was just a part of her amiable nature, and, while he would never admit it out loud, he was actually somewhat grateful to Captain Kirk for helping to distract Prima from her grief. Dark humor and sarcasm had always been her go to defense mechanisms. But Kirk had better had better not get ahead of himself and start flirting with her. _That_ would not be tolerated.

"Captain, I would not advise the use of any destructive explosives aboard a starship." Spock cut in, raining on their parade. "If placed in the wrong location, it could—"

"Okay, fine." Prima agreed grudgingly, not in the mood for a lecture. "But I must insist upon a railgun. We can turn my wheelchair into a tank."

"I like the sound of that." Kirk said, grinning. "Hey, do you think you could—"

_"—Stop."_ Khan ordered suddenly, using such a commanding tone, that even Kirk automatically froze.

Kirk was about to ask why, when he noticed the serious expression on both Khan's and Prima's faces. She held a finger to her lips, signaling him to remain silent as they listened. The two enhanced humans exchanged a knowing look.

Prima glanced back at Kirk and made a few hand motions and gestures to silently communicate that a larger group was marching down the intersecting corridor just a couple of feet ahead. They were most likely headed for Engineering, which would mean they would pass right in front of their group in a few minutes. The motley crew of reluctant allies braced themselves as they silently waited for the unknown party to come into sight, preparing for fight or flight, depending on the situation. They didn't have to wait long before the enemy revealed themselves.

Six cyborgs were guiding several converted crew members through the halls. Unlike the security guard in their custody, the other converts seemed capable of walking entirely on his own, and they seemed to be in some kind of zombie-like trance. Prima and Khan furrowed their brows slightly when they realized there were some unfamiliar faces mixed in amongst the full-fledged cyborgs. This did not bode well for the crew of the _Excalibur_.

_SCRRK._

Everyone tensed when the wheelchair suddenly let out an unseemly squeak as the drooling security guard in their custody suddenly began to stir, and the entire company came to an abrupt halt as all six of the cyborgs turned their heads in the direction of the noise.

"Shit!" Kirk cursed as two of the cyborgs broke off from the group and began advancing upon them, getting ready for a tough fight.

"Wait." Khan cautioned them after quickly glancing between the approaching enemy and the security guard, who seemed to be struggling to push himself out of the wheelchair. "Everyone, take several steps back from the wheelchair. Give them plenty of room." He instructed Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. "Hide your face, Prima." He didn't want them trying to convert her again if they recognized her face. Without question, Prima quickly did as she was told and hid her face by tucking her head in and nestling her face against his neck. The others were not so quick to obey.

"Why? What good will that do?" Kirk demanded skeptically, keeping his voice low.

"What about the guard? You want us to just leave him behind_!_?" McCoy whisper-yelled sternly.

"Captain, Doctor. I believe Khan's suggestion may be the most practical in this situation." Spock said calmly, taking a step back.

"Are you out of your Vulcan mind_!_?" McCoy snapped incredulously. Like hell they were leaving that man behind. What happened to their plan to save him_!_?

"They appear to be more concerned with collecting the guard than with capturing us, as without our phasers, they do not perceive us as a threat. As long as we do not give them a reason to attack us, it is highly unlikely the cyborgs will attack us." Spock explained evenly. While the last thing Spock wanted to do was to agree with the man who had nearly killed them all on more than one occasion, it would be illogical to deny the merits behind Khan's reasoning, especially since he was correct.

McCoy and Kirk glanced back at the approaching enemy before exchanging a look. Very reluctantly and grudgingly, they began to back away to a safe distance along with the others.

"I don't like it." Kirk stated grimly.

"I know. Neither do I." Prima agreed, frowning. "But we have to be smart about this. We're out numbered and unarmed. If we engage them in a fight as we are now, even if we win, there's a good chance at least one of us will end up being converted before the fight is over. We can't help them if we get taken out too." She said reasonably.

"If you truly want to help the crew of the _Excalibur_, then I suggest you remain calm and continue to focus on stopping Dr. Dahl as quickly as possible." Khan added stoically as they watched the converted guard finally succeed in pushing himself up out of the wheelchair and walk over to meet the cyborgs halfway, as if drawn to them.

"Phase one complete." One of the cyborgs announced after scanning him. "Reporting to Engineering for phase two." It said as they escorted him back to join the rest of their herd. Once the three of them were in place, the cyborg company continued their steady, mechanical march forward. Just as predicted by Khan and Spock, they had completely ignored the unarmed humans, assuming they had surrendered and were no longer a threat.

"… Let's go." Kirk said determinedly, taking the lead once again after he felt enough time had passed to put a reasonable distance between them and the cyborgs, just in case.

—∞—

**The ****_Excalibur's _****Med bay**

"Whoa!" Prima and Kirk shouted when a phaser was fired at their group the moment the doors opened, and they all had to duck. That was a close one.

"St-Stay back! I've got a phaser, and I'm not afraid to use it!" Dr. Hari Singh, the young greenhorn chief medical officer of the _Excalibur,_ declared shakily.

"Obviously." Khan deadpanned dryly as he straightened up with such ease, one would think Prima weighed no more than a feather.

"It's all right, Dr. Singh." McCoy said calmly, trying to reason with the man. "None of us have been infected. And Khan has agreed to work with us for the moment."

"Singh?" Kirk asked, surprised and confused, as he glanced between Khan and the doctor.

"Relax, Captain. All male Sikhs take 'Singh' as their last name. It's about as common in India as 'Smith' is in the U.S." Prima explained upon seeing his expression. Technically, Khan wasn't a confirmed Sikh, but his mother was, and she had been the one who chose his name. And, even though she hadn't focused on teaching him the more religious aspects of her culture, she had made sure to raise him according to the tradition of the Sikh warriors.

Naturally, Khan found himself exceedingly disappointed and unimpressed with the cowardly demeanor of the Sikh doctor before him.

"Really? How do I know you're not trying to deceive me?" Dr. Singh continued to question McCoy, still suspicious, though he did lower his phaser slightly.

"Do I sound like a damned robot to you_!_?" McCoy snapped impatiently at the skittish doctor. "Do you see any cybernetic implants or dark veins on _any _of us_!_?" Hari Singh's medical skills might be topnotch, but he was still too green to be considered good 'officer' material.

"N-No! My apologies, Dr. McCoy, it's just… I've never seen anything like those _things_ before…" Dr. Singh quickly apologized as he finally lowered his weapon.

"None of us have." McCoy replied more clamly, clapping the young doctor on the shoulder as he passed him on his way into the lab. "But, just maybe, we might be able to figure out what makes them tick." He added, pausing in the open doorway to hold up some of the medical samples he had enough foresight to collect from Athena. "There may even be a way to reverse whatever damage Dr. Dahl has done, if we're very, very lucky."

Kirk grinned at his old friend's ingenuity. That sly dog. When did he snag those? It must have been while he was too absorbed in listening to Prima's explanation about the virus to notice, because Khan, who had been assisting McCoy at the time, didn't look surprised at all.

"My thoughts precisely, Doctor." Khan stated coolly. It would unquestionably be to their advantage if they could decrease the number of enemies they had to fight. "Where should I set you down, Prima? Are you going to work with Dr. McCoy on analyzing the blood and tissue samples, or would you prefer to focus your efforts on creating weapons?"

"Well, I'm sure Dr. McCoy's medical knowledge easily surpasses my own, considering he's got three hundred years worth of advancements over me, so maybe I should..."

"Actually," McCoy cut in before she could finish that thought, "Miss Dempsey, I would greatly appreciate your help with the analysis of these blood and tissue samples. I may have the advantage when it comes to modern medicine, but I'm sure your knowledge of augments far outweighs my own. I could use your expertise in the area." Even though he had managed to somehow create a serum to save Jim using Khan's blood, that had really been more of a miracle than anything, considering he still barely understood exactly how the regenerative process and other unique properties of Khan's blood worked. Prima, on the other hand, had obviously made a close study of it in the past, as had her father.

"All right, then." Prima agreed, smiling slightly. "To the lab, Khan!" She declared dramatically, pointing straight ahead. Khan sighed and shook his head at her as he followed McCoy into the lab, where he promptly deposited Prima onto a stool.

"How many times must I tell you—I am _not_ your horse." He said firmly, crossing his arms as he stared down at her. She was definitely doing this on purpose.

McCoy raised an eyebrow. You mean, this piggyback ride business had happened before?

"Once more, as always." Prima replied smartly, leaning back as she gave him a sly smile, clearly teasing him and clearly enjoying it. McCoy stared at her, wide-eyed with astonishment. She really liked to live dangerously, didn't she? Instead of snapping and losing his temper, Khan simply gave her a playful smack on the head for sassing him before leaving them to get on with their work.

"… Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" McCoy asked Prima, smiling wryly in bemusement. He knew they were on good terms, but that had been such a shocking display of normalcy that McCoy was having a hard time reconciling this more chivalrous and affectionate side of Khan with the homicidal maniac they had all come to fear and mistrust.

"What are you doing?" Kirk asked curiously when Khan rejoined them in the main med bay and began drawing some of his own blood without the slightest hint of hesitation.

"What does it look like, Mr. Kirk?" Kahn replied coolly, keeping his eyes on the machine he was hooked up to while it simultaneously collected blood and separated the essential blood platelets from the lipids and other superfluous materials not needed for transfusion. "Prima's injury has become an inconvenience. We will need her at her best for the upcoming confrontation.

"You plan to inject your blood directly into Miss Dempsey's leg in order to heal the broken bone?" Spoke deduced.

"Correct, Mr. Spock." Khan stated stopping the machine, so he could remove the needle from his arm and connect the vial of his blood platelets to a hypo-spray. "Excuse me for a moment." He added, not even bothering to spare the other men in the room a glance before ducking back inside the lab with Prima and McCoy.

"Um, excuse me, but… why is he helping us?" Dr. Singh asked the young captain and his first officer somewhat hesitantly. "Why would he go so far as to draw his blood for an enemy?"

"Well, about that… It seems they're less like enemies and more like 'frienemies'." Kirk replied, smiling wryly, when they all heard Prima emit a startled yelp of surprise. Khan must have snuck up on her and hit her with the hypo without any warning, like Bones often did to him. She had his sympathies. That three-second heart attack when you aren't quite sure whether you're being given a shot or getting shanked really sucked.

"Are you sure?" Singh asked skeptically. That shot sounded like it had felt a lot more unpleasant than it should have…

"There. Give her ten to fifteen minutes, and she'll be right as rain." Khan announced, smirking slightly to himself, as he entered the room again. Prima should know better than to lower her guard like that so soon after sassing him like that. He might be more lenient with her than anyone else, but even _she _couldn't get away with that completely scot-free. And the look on her face had been positively priceless. "Now, gentlemen… Shall we begin?" He asked, spreading his hands out as he leaned on the counter before him, ready to give them a crash course on urban guerilla warfare.


	13. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

I own nothing but my OC.

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**Previously:**

_"You plan to inject your blood directly into Miss Dempsey's leg in order to heal the broken bone?" Spock deduced._

_"Correct, Mr. Spock." Khan stated stopping the machine, so he could remove the needle from his arm and connect the vial of his blood platelets to a hypo-spray. "Excuse me for a moment." He added, not even bothering to spare the other men in the room a glance before ducking back inside the lab with Prima and McCoy._

_"Um, excuse me, but… why is he helping us?" Dr. Singh asked the young captain and his first officer somewhat hesitantly. "Why would he go so far as to draw his blood for an enemy?"_

_"Well, about that… It seems they're less like enemies and more like 'frienemies'." Kirk replied, smiling wryly, when they all heard Prima emit a startled yelp of surprise. Khan must have snuck up on her and hit her with the hypo without any warning, like Bones often did to him. She had his sympathies. That three-second heart attack when you aren't quite sure whether you're being given a shot or getting shanked really sucked._

_"Are you sure?" Singh asked skeptically. That shot sounded like it had felt a lot more unpleasant than it should have…_

_"There. Give her ten to fifteen minutes, and she'll be right as rain." Khan announced, smirking slightly to himself, as he entered the room again. Prima should know better than to lower her guard like that so soon after sassing him like that. He might be more lenient with her than anyone else, but even she couldn't get away with that completely scot-free. And the look on her face had been positively priceless. "Now, gentlemen… Shall we begin?" He asked, spreading his hands out as he leaned on the counter before him, ready to give them a crash course on urban guerilla warfare._

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_**[[Chapter 12: You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet]]**_

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"The only sure way to kill an augment with advanced healing capabilities is to destroy the brain or to sever the spinal cord just below the brain stem." Khan stated gravely as he addressed Kirk, Spock, and the squeamish Dr. Singh. "As long as there is still brain function, they will usually be able to heal themselves from even the most severe wounds, though blood loss may affect the speed of the process to some extent. Therefore, the most efficient means of dispatching the cyborgs will be to behead them. Failing that, I would recommend cutting off the hand equipped with the 'conversion' gauntlet. That will at least prevent them from infecting anyone else." It felt strange to be conducting a war counsel with these men, as he had often done in the past with his family and crew. Ordinarily he would never reveal his people's weakness to outsiders, much less those who had been and probably still were enemies. But the current situation demanded it. From what he had seen of that group of cyborgs the passed in the corridor, it was obvious that Dr. Dahl had begun to force the same implants upon the crew of the _Excalibur_, and that meant there was no telling how many full-fledge cyborgs, who were capable of conversion, were running around. It would be difficult enough for him to take down ten of his old crew members, even with Prima's help, without having to worry about the converted humans swarming around them as well, and if those implants had made it possible for her to control his crew even as corpses, then that meant the other new cyborgs would likely be just as difficult to stop unless dispatched in a similar manner. He glanced around the work table they had situated themselves at.

Kirk was listening to him with a grim determination and readiness to do what needed to be done. Spock had also been watching and listening closely to his instructions, but the Vulcan's expression was much more guarded and a bit difficult to read. To Khan's immense dissatisfaction, Dr. Singh, the only other Sikh present, had visibly paled and was wearing an openly appalled and incredulous expression upon his face.

"You want us to kill members of this crew… innocent men and women_!_?" Dr. Singh asked incredulously. He was horrified, not just by Khan's savagery and cold countenance while suggesting such a thing, but also with himself. Despite his disgust at such a barbaric proposition, Hari Singh found himself inexplicably drawn to the magnetic charisma of the dangerous man before him. He found himself wanting to follow Khan, even if it went against his personal ethics and morals as a doctor.

"Not anymore, they aren't. Strike hard and without mercy. If you hold back, it will only cause them more unnecessary suffering." Khan replied sternly, narrowing his eyes at the man. Dr. Singh couldn't help but flinch at the sharp glare of disapproval he was receiving.

"I know how you feel, Dr. Singh…" Kirk spoke up sympathetically. "But I've seen it for myself. In their current condition, they wouldn't even recognize their best friend if they came face to face with them. They won't hesitate to attack you, so you can't hesitate either."

"… I understand." Dr. Singh said reluctantly. He knew all too well what Kirk was talking about. The reason why he was the only one left in the med bay was because those things had already come before them. He and the nurses tried to resist, but it was no use. The only reason why he was spared was because of his own clumsiness. For some reason, after he tripped and dropped his phaser, the cyborg attacking him suddenly backed off and left along with the others, taking the converted nurses with them. He was ashamed that he had not been able to protect them as a man and as their superior officer.

"Then, if there are no further questions, let us begin gathering the necessary materials to create our weapons." Khan said calmly, noticing the regret in the doctors eyes. While he disapproved of the doctor's weakness, he was not completely indifferent to the man's inner turmoil over having to kill people who were once friends and family, but Khan firmly believed that this was for their own good. They deserved to be put out of their misery rather than being left to suffer as the robotic slaves of the insidious Dr. Dahl.

"… If it's weapons you want…" Dr. Singh spoke up tentatively after a moment of silence. "I may be able to help you there."

—∞—

"Are you sure we can't bring the phaser?" Dr. Singh asked nervously as he and the other three men made their way through the ship's corridors to his personal quarters.

"The ship has started moving." Khan stated abruptly when he felt a shift in the vibrations bellow his feet, just before the familiar hum of a ship entering warp could be heard by his superior ears. He had expected this to happen sooner or later. Frankly, he was surprised it hadn't been sooner.

"What? Seriously?" Kirk asked, frowning. "Where does she think she's going?"

"Based on what we know of Dr. Dahl's history, I suspect we are headed directly for Klingon territory, Captain." Spock supplied.

"Oh, great. You mean we have to stop yet _another_ attempt to start a war with them?" Kirk asked, chagrined. As if things weren't already difficult enough…

—∞—

**Meanwhile, back in the med bay…**

"This is amazing… incredibly _wrong_, but amazing, none the less…" Prima remarked as she viewed the magnified images of the microscopic nanites from Athena's blood sample.

She couldn't help but marvel over the advanced technology in the lab, but even those pinnacle achievements of human ingenuity seemed to pale in comparison to the tiny little robots that were no bigger than a red blood cell. Not only that, but judging by the data collected from the scanners, the nanites were all hooked into some kind of wireless network, capable of communicating simultaneously with each other, as well as an outside source, which was probably Dahl. Once injected into the host, they would start to leak a special chemical compound that acted as a psychotropic and left said host in a state that made them extremely open to suggestions and susceptible to manipulation. How was Dahl even able to make them so small? And they were though little bastards, too. No matter what she and McCoy tried, nothing seemed capable of destroying the little buggers without also poisoning the blood or risking permanent damage to some other part of the host's body. It was a real shame that woman had decided to use her powers for evil instead of good.

"Yeah, it's like trying to kill mice with a shotgun. Whatever we throw at it is either too much or too little. At this rate, we're more likely to bring down the house or shoot a foot off trying to kill these damn things." McCoy stated glumly, frowning something fierce. There had to be some way to save these people.

"I think what we're dealing with is more like zombies than mice." Prima said thoughtfully as she sat back on her stool.

"Come again?" McCoy asked her, scowling at such a ludicrous idea. She couldn't be serious.

She was.

"Just hear me out, Doc." Prima said patiently, seeing that poor, frustrated Bones was about to blow his top from the stress of trying to find a cure in such a rushed timeframe. She was starting to get a bit concerned about his blood pressure. "I'm not just talking about the undead reanimated corpse popularized by horror movies. The term is often, or at least it was, figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli. Doesn't that sound an awful lot like the symptoms affecting our converted guard and his unfortunate shipmates?"

"Yes?" McCoy replied, seeing her point, but still not sure how this was supposed to help them.

"After a certain ethnobotanist traveled to Haiti in 1982 and conducted some investigations into the matter, he discovered that a living person can be turned into a zombie if two special powders were introduced into the blood stream, usually via an open wound. The first powder includes tetrodotoxin, a powerful and frequently fatal neurotoxin. The second powder consists of disassociative drugs such as datura. Together, these powders were said to induce a deathlike state in which the will of the victim would be entirely subjected to that of the bokor, the 'witch doctor' controlling them." She explained. "… Oh! In a way, aren't these nanites essentially just a high-tech version of the zombie powders?" Prima gasped suddenly, lighting up, when another idea suddenly occurred to her. "What if instead of completely destroying the nanites themselves, we simply find a way to shut them off? Then we can treat the host for the symptoms caused by the artificially created chemical imbalance and help them regain their lucidity." Prima suggested carefully, watching to see what the good doctor's reaction might be. "That will give us time to come up with a better treatment over the long term. It may even be as simple as several blood transfusions to help replace and flush out the contaminated blood…" She started to trail off towards the end when she saw the odd look he was giving her. "… What?" She asked warily, hoping she hadn't just said something completely ridiculous. Her eyes widened in surprise and shock when he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her big kiss on the cheek.

"Mwah! My God, woman—You're not just a genius, you're a miracle worker!" McCoy exclaimed ecstatically, grinning broadly as he clapped the stunned girl on the shoulder. "If this works, I'm nominating you for sainthood!" He continued excitedly. "Since we know what symptoms to treat, now we just need to figure out which combination of medications will best counteract the drug in the nanites while producing the least harmful side-effects."

"Yeah… Great." Prima said, blinking. "I'll leave that to you, then. I have an idea for how we can render the nanites inert, but I'll need Khan's help, so… yeah." She added a bit awkwardly as she slid off the stool, carefully testing out her healed leg by taking a few ginger steps with it before assuming a normal pace and leaving the lab. In that moment, McCoy's reaction had reminded her so much of her father, that she was suddenly struck by the empty feeling of his absence. It was hard, knowing he was already gone. Words could not describe how much she already missed him, but she couldn't let herself focus on that. She had to keep calm and carry on.

At least, that had been her plan until she discovered the main part of med bay, where Khan and the others should have been, was completely and totally empty. _Where the heck were they!_?

—∞—

**Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hari Singh's personal quarters**

Khan couldn't help the devious smirk that began to spread across his face when he saw the display of various weapons that Hari Singh had promised them the use of back in the med bay.

"A fine collection, Dr. Singh." Khan praised. It was better than he had allowed himself to hope for. They were all accurate reproductions of ancient bladed weapons from times long past, and amongst them were quite a few of his personal favorites. There were even a few firearms were mixed in here and there, but without bullets, they were virtually useless. The only gun that appeared to have any useable ammo left was a pair of pearl-handled twin colt six-shooters.

"Damn. Maybe I should've brought Sulu, too." Kirk remarked as he took in the collection in its entirety. It really was rather impressive.

"Interesting." Spock commented. How had Dr. Singh managed to convince Captain Harris to allow him to bring so many functional weapons onboard?

"Thank you. I was never formally trained in the martial arts, but I've always admired the beauty and craftsmanship of ancient weapons such as these." Dr. Singh admitted humbly, pleased to hear their praise for his collection. "Please, help yourselves to anything you like, since this is the best I can do to help under these circumstances…"

"Thank you, Doctor." Khan replied rather graciously as he selected a beautiful khanda sword and removed it from its display. "You have been of _great_ assistance. I believe this will do rather nicely."

"—_Aaaah!"_ There came a shriek from just outside the doors.

Kirk instinctively grabbed the closest thing he could use to defend himself with and made for the door, but Khan had already beat him to it. Before any of them could so much as blink, the superhuman was out in the hallway, attacking the four cyborgs that had cornered two yeomen. He was slicing and slashing away in a whirl of sharp steel with such effortless grace, one might think he were simply dancing instead of hacking off cyborg heads and sending them flying in all directions. It was over in a matter of seconds. The regular humans present at that moment just stared at him, stunned. All of the augment's movements had been quick, clean, and precise… but the same could not be said for his surroundings. Blood was splattered everywhere, on the walls, on the floor… there were even a few drops on his face. And yet, there, in the middle of that bloody scene of carnage, he smiled.

"Yes… I believe this will do _very_ nicely." Khan stated calmly, smirking ever so slightly, as he watched how the crimson blood glistened on the steel blade.

"… Sonovabitch." Kirk breathed in disbelief as a chill went up his spine. Just when he thought he'd seen it all, Khan had to go and up the ante.

—∞—

**Med bay**

"Well, well. Look who's back." Prima remarked a tad sardonically when the missing men returned laden with real weapons and the two pretty women they had just picked up. She was leaning rather casually against one of the nursing stations. If Prima was surprised, she concealed it well, merely raising an eyebrow at their recent acquisitions. She was still a little miffed they had left without even bothering to let her and McCoy know. What if something had happened to them? "I hope you've brought enough to share with the rest of the class."

"Don't be angry, Prima." Khan said, quickly realizing what she was sulking about. "I picked these out especially for you." He added, presenting her with a pair of Chinese hook swords, a Celtic Burda club, an Aara, and a sling.

"I'm not angry, but would it have killed you guys to leave a note?" Prima retorted, pouting slightly, even though he could tell she was pleased with the selection he had prepared for her. "I knew you'd come back for us, but I can't help but worry when you just suddenly up and disappear like that." She peeked around Khan to look at Kirk and Spock. "And that goes for you two blockheads, too. Don't you dare go dying after I've already started getting attached to you." She scolded them seriously.

Khan frowned. She made friends too easily. If Prima really had grown that attached to them, then it could complicate things. If he turned around and killed them after the immediate crisis with Dahl was over, then it would take her quite awhile to forgive him for it. He knew she would eventually, she always did. However, Khan would much prefer not to hurt her like that, if it could be helped… Still, he would do whatever needed to be done in order to protect her and what was left of his crew. He _refused_ to suffer the pain of losing any of them again, especially her.

"Anyway, putting that aside, Dr. McCoy and I have some news for you all." Prima continued.

"Good news or bad news?" Khan inquired.

"Good news." Prima said, smiling.

"Your leg is completely healed?" Kirk guessed, noticing the distinct lack of a splint on her fine legs.

"Well, yeah, that too… Actually, we think we've found a solution to the 'conversion' problem, but first we'll need a way to shutdown the nanites in the bloodstream without harming the host… I was thinking something like an EMP?" She explained, glancing hopefully at Khan.

"Yes, that might do the trick… but there is a chance the nanites could produce a shock capable of damaging the blood vessels and cells around them." Khan replied thoughtfully, pausing for a moment. "We'll have to run a test using the blood sample first."

"If it is an electromagnetic pulse device you wish to build, I believe I can be of service." Spock volunteered. "I have constructed a portable device of a similar nature before."

"Then I shall leave that particular task to you, Mr. Spock." Khan assented calmly to the Vulcan. Khan could easily complete such a task on his own, but allowing Spock to build the device would allow him to focus his attention elsewhere, while also freeing him of suspicion, should some unforeseeable consequences occur due to the EMP. He had enough to be concerned about as it was with this fiasco with Dr. Dahl and her cyborgs, and the rest of his crew still in the hands of Starfleet.

"Excellent." Kirk said, smiling, as he clapped his friend on the shoulder. Spock wasted no time and immediately set to work on finding the materials he needed. "You said that was the first step… so, what's next?" Kirk asked Prima, taking a step closer. He was definitely interested in this hopeful new development.

"Well, once the nanites have been neutralized, then we plan on treating the symptoms they've caused in the victims, so Dr. McCoy is looking for that magic cocktail of meds that will help them start feeling more like human beings again. Unfortunately, I have no practical knowledge of how most of the treatments in question work, so I was wondering if perhaps Dr. Singh wouldn't mind lending him a hand. It's a lot of info to go through, and we don't have a lot of time." Prima explained, glancing hopefully at Hari Singh. She could tell he was doing his best to hold it together, but being in the same room as Khan after having just witnessed an example of his violent savagery firsthand was making the man a nervous wreck. He didn't need to be asked twice.

"Ah, yes, of course!" Dr. Singh agreed hastily, carefully avoiding eye contact with the dangerous terrorist, as he practically ran from the room, escaping into the lab with McCoy.

"By the way… you do realize you've got blood on you, right?" Prima asked Khan, raising an eyebrow. She could pretty much guess what had happened, knowing Khan and judging by the expressions and body language of the others. "Come here, I'll wipe it off for you." She said, smiling wryly and shaking her head, as she opened a drawer and began searching for a towel, alcohol wipes, or something of that nature she could use.

"Um, excuse me, but… who is that?" One of the yeomen, Yeoman Rand asked Kirk somewhat hesitantly, pointing at Prima. She was still a bit shaken from her previous encounter with the creepy cyborgs and Khan's completely one-sided slaughter of them. It was strange to see him now, with an almost… tender(?) look in his eyes, as he stared down at the beautiful brunette girl that was so focused on gently cleaning the blood from his face.

"Oh, that's Miss Primavera Dempsey. She and Khan are frienemies." Kirk explained lightly, trying to add some levity to the situation to help cheer up the two ladies. "You don't have to worry about her, she's on our side."

"By God, I think we've—" McCoy exclaimed excitedly as he rushed into the room, only to stop short upon seeing the small armory they had amassed, courtesy of Dr. Singh. "—Holy hell, Jim! Is this a med bay or an armory? Where did you even _find_ all of this?"

"We borrowed it all from Dr. Singh, actually." Kirk replied, smirking.

"Really?" McCoy said dubiously, raising an eyebrow, as he glanced between them and the timid man that was poking his head out of the lab, watching them at what he judged to be a safe distance from Khan.

"So, what were you saying before?" Kirk asked, trying to get them back on topic. "Something about a cure?"


	14. Don't Stop Believing

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:**

_"By God, I think we've—" McCoy exclaimed excitedly as he rushed into the room, only to stop short upon seeing the small armory they had amassed, courtesy of Dr. Singh. "—Holy hell, Jim! Is this a med bay or an armory? Where did you even find all of this?"_

_"We borrowed it all from Dr. Singh, actually." Kirk replied, smirking._

_"Really?" McCoy said dubiously, raising an eyebrow, as he glanced between them and the timid man that was poking his head out of the lab, watching them at what he judged to be a safe distance from Khan._

_"So, what were you saying before?" Kirk asked, trying to get them back on topic. "Something about a cure?"_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 13: Don't Stop Believing]]**_

* * *

"Zombies? _Really_?" Kirk asked after hearing the entire explanation behind how they figured out their brilliant plan to cure the converted crew, raising an eyebrow. "How did you make such a random connection?"

"Um, ADD, remember? That's just how I roll." Prima reminded him, smiling wryly.

"I was amazed at how brilliantly simple her solution was, though." McCoy admitted. "While I was stuck on trying to solve the problem one way, she reached around and solved it from a completely different angle."

"Yes. Prima has always had a talent for creativity and making the most complicated issues seem simple." Khan agreed.

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." Prima replied sagely, shrugging. Khan furrowed his brow slightly and glanced at her.

"Did you just quote Dr. Seuss?" He asked.

"Yes, and I don't care what you say, that man's a genius." Prima responded defensively, crossing her arms.

"Dr. Seuss? _You've_ read Dr. Seuss books?" McCoy asked Khan, surprised. Those books were ancient by this time, but they were still considered classic children's literature, and he had been forced to read _The Cat in the Hat_ over and over again to his own daughter, to the point where he had started seeing that damn cat in his sleep. They were entertaining, nonsensical books, not something you would expect a cold killer and ex-dictator to have read in his down time.

"I used to read them to Prima when she was younger, after much begging and pleading." Khan confessed calmly.

"I don't remember begging." Prima quipped, frowning slightly.

"Wait, just how long have you two known each other?" Kirk asked. He knew her father had been in contact with Khan since before her birth, because he used Khan's blood to make the serum for her, but he found it hard to imagine Khan playing babysitter.

"I've known Prima since she was an infant." Khan stated matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow at the question. Shouldn't that much have been obvious from their conversation?

"Yeah, he actually took pretty good care of me." Prima said, smiling warmly at the fond memories she had of her odd childhood. "Still does, when he's not too busy trying to take over the world." She added a bit snarkily, teasing him.

"Old habits die hard." Khan replied coolly, unfazed, apart from the slight, upwards twitch of the corners of his mouth.

"Wow… Didn't see that one coming." Kirk admitted, blinking. He and McCoy were stunned by this latest revelation. Maybe Khan wasn't as much of a kitten killer as they had originally assumed if he was capable of caring for and showing affection to a small child… From the sound of it, these two really had been through a lot together over the years. Perhaps this helped to explain Khan's continued favoritism towards her, despite how she had forced him to leave Earth 300 years ago…

"The device has been completed, Captain." Spock announced. "However, due to the fact that we plan on setting it off in the engineering section of the ship, there is a possibility some of the ship's functions may be affected."

"Such as?" Kirk asked. This wasn't going to screw up the core, was it? Because he _definitely_ didn't want to have to do a repeat of his latest near death experience after having _just_ been released from the hospital.

"Such as helm control and life support." Spock replied. The others tensed. So, the good news was that the ship wouldn't be completely dead in the water, but the bad news was they could all end up dying a slow death anyway in the worst case scenario.

"Damn it." McCoy cursed under his breath. Of course, something just _had_ to go wrong. Things were never that easy.

"The actual systems or just the controls?" Khan asked.

"Most likely, it will only affect the controls in Engineering and the Auxiliary Control Room." Spock clarified. The rest of the ship should be fine.

"What the… Geez, Spock! You got us all worked up over nothing." Prima exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief.

"It is too soon to relax, Miss Dempsey." Spock replied, frowning slightly. "If you will recall, control of the ship has been completely rerouted through those sections . If we were to activate this device with the ship in this condition, we may not be able to reroute control of these systems back to the bridge. The result will be a complete and total failure of whatever systems were affected by the electromagnetic pulse."

"But isn't there a way to reroute control to the bridge beforehand?" Prima asked, furrowing her brow.

"Not officially, but I may be able to do something about that." Khan said.

"Ah, you're going to hack and/or hot-wire the ship, aren't you?" Prima asked, smiling knowingly as she correctly guessed his plan. This was starting to feel like a _Mission Impossible_ episode, only in space… with cyborg zombies.

"Is that possible?" Kirk asked, intrigued. If they could take control from the bridge again, then maybe they could turn the ship around before they reached the neutral zone.

"It shouldn't be." Spock interjected, furrowing his brow slightly, in confusion.

"Perhaps not, for the common man, but you gentlemen seem to be forgetting something. I am _not_ your common man. I may be new to this century, but I have had to go over all of the plans and designs for every single ship in the fleet, until I knew them like the back of my hand, before I could even begin building the _Vengeance_. I know exactly what makes this ship tick, down to the last fiber optic cable. I can get you in, and I am most likely the _only_ one who can." Khan stated absolutely, exuding an unquestionable aura of unshakable confidence in himself.

Set faces to stunned. It wasn't just egotism talking. They all knew full and well what a man like Khan was capable of.

"... Annnd that's as humble as he gets." Prima quipped, amused by the two yeomen's particularly gob-smacked expressions.

"Ahem. Well, anyway…" Kirk said a bit awkwardly, clearing his throat, as he tried to get the ball rolling again. "If Khan can at least get us back control of life support, helm control, and communications, then we'll have a fighting chance. And that gives me an idea…" He added, smirking, as a plan began to form in his head.

—∞—

"Hey." Prima said softly, sidling up next to Khan, while everyone else finished redistributing the weapons and going over the plan. There was one point in particular that Spock felt compelled to argue against, and he and Kirk were engaged in a hushed but heated discussion about it.

"Yes?" Khan asked, wondering what was bothering her. She clearly had something on her mind as well.

"So, I was wondering… you're not planning on taking advantage of this situation and trying anything unscrupulous are you?" Prima asked quietly, genuinely concerned. She knew Khan was taking the butchering of their family and crew just as serious as she was, but at the moment she wasn't quite sure what he was thinking. She was worried he might try to betray the others again once he no longer required their assistance with taking down Dahl.

"Hmph. You grew attached to them awfully fast. This must be a new record for you, Prima." Khan replied a touch sardonically, keeping his voice low as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I confess, the thought had crossed my mind, but you need not be concerned for your new _'friends'_. I won't do anything to risk the lives of our remaining family members whilst they still remain in the clutches of Starfleet." He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but he couldn't resist sticking a little barb in there. Khan didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous to see his Prima getting along so well with the salacious Mr. Kirk in such a short amount of time. He knew, logically, that he had no reason to feel threatened by this development, since his own bond with Prima was far deeper, but he still didn't like it.

Prima suppressed the sudden urge to shiver at the feeling of his warm breath on her neck, brought on by his close proximity. She steeled her nerves before looking up into those powerful glasz eyes.

"It's not just them I'm worried about, Khan." She said seriously. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I know you're practically invincible, but you're still mortal, just like the rest of us. And I realize you're probably still sore at Starfleet because of what Admiral Marcus did to you—what he did to all of us—but please, I'm _begging_ you… Do _not _try to start war with them." She pleaded earnestly. "I admit, I don't know much about this future world, but based on what I've seen and learned so far, I can take a fair guess as to what will happen if you do, and we cannot afford to pick a fight with the entire planet and whatever allies they may have off world. I know it's a lot to ask, but can you please, _please_ try to forgive them?"

"Me, forgive them?" Khan scoffed, pulling away slightly. "They are the ones who should be begging for _my_ forgiveness." He retorted bitterly.

"Yes, they should. But you misunderstand." Prima replied calmly. "Forgiveness doesn't excuse their behavior. Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying _your _heart. Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. When you hate something, you chain yourself to it. Just look at what happened when you tried to take revenge on Marcus, and then on Kirk and Spock when you thought they killed our crew. I know what happened. Every horrifying detail. You've always been a vicious and relentless warrior on the battlefield, Khan, but you were never this cruel, not like that…" She said sadly, recalling the painful account of how he had killed Marcus so brutally in front of his own daughter, not to mention all of those innocent people who died when he crashed the _Vengeance_ in an attempted kamikaze attack on Starfleet Headquarters.

Khan stared at her, suddenly feeling as though the ground had dropped out from beneath his feet. He didn't like that look in her eyes. It was a pained expression that he had never seen before.

"Does this mean you… hate… me, now?" He asked hesitantly, finding himself full of trepidation. He didn't know what she would do if she did, and he dreaded the very thought of it.

"No. I don't think I could ever hate you." She replied carefully, to his immense relief, but her next words hit him hard. "I'm just disappointed you turned into everything you said you'd never be. What you've done is just as bad as what Marcus did to you and what Dahl is doing to us now. They may have been nothing to you, but the people in that archive you blew up, the Daystrom room you attacked, and those who died when you crashed the _Vengeance_ were all somebody else's important family and loved ones. To the people they left behind, their lose is no less painful or potent than losing Athena and the others is to us. Knowing all of this, do you still think your actions completely justified? Because that wasn't justice, Khan. That was cold, hard revenge, and revenge is a very vicious cycle. After all, that's how you met Kirk and the others, isn't it? You killed his mentor, a man who was like a father to him, so he came after you, bent on his own quest for revenge, but, fortunately, he decided not to take it. And you cannot imagine how grateful I am for that, because if he had given in and fired those torpedoes as ordered, I would have lost you and everyone else still left that I care about_. Do you have any idea what that would have done to me?"_ She whispered urgently, grabbing hold of Khan, as if afraid he would disappear. "Do us all a favor and be more selective in your battles. Sometimes peace is better than being right."

"What would you have me do? Just give up and act as though nothing ever happened?" Khan asked, frowning. He wasn't sure who he was more upset with at the moment. Prima, for her lecture, or himself for having earned it. He had never meant to hurt and upset her like this. He never thought she would find out, seeing as Marcus had him convinced that she had perished long ago when her cryotube supposedly malfunctioned while they were adrift in space. Had he known she was still alive…

"Giving up doesn't always mean you're weak. Sometimes it means you are strong enough to let go." Prima continued with righteous determination. "Don't give up what you want the most for what you want right now. It is my conviction that nothing enduring can be built on violence. It will be difficult, and it will take time, but if we want to succeed in building a new world for our dysfunctional family, then we have to show the other humans that we are capable of coexisting peacefully with them, that we're more than just the pack of violent, bloodthirsty savages that the history books say we are. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., 'we must live together as brothers or perish together as fools'."

"Ever the optimist, aren't you? Do you seriously believe we can trust _them_?" Khan asked grimly, furrowing his brow. "They are still just as treacherous as when we left Earth 300 years ago. Just look at what Marcus and Dahl have done to us!" He hissed angrily.

"They're only two people, Khan." Prima said calmly. "You must not lose faith in humanity because of them. Humanity is like an ocean; just because a few drops in the ocean are dirty, doesn't mean the rest of the ocean is dirty. They've changed, I can feel it. They're not perfect, but neither are we, and they are honestly trying. I know it's asking a lot, but please, give them one, last chance to prove themselves."

"Give me one reason." Khan said, his frown deepening, as he found himself being swayed by her ardent pleas.

"Enhanced or not, we are _all_ human, and I've always believed that our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake ourselves. We like to think we're better, but the truth is we're just as fallible as they are, because we've inherited all of the same faults as members of the same race. In fact, I think some of them were even amplified in us alongside with our good qualities." She explained, smiling a little wanly. "So, I have to believe that they can overcome their flaws, because if not, then I might start to lose faith that we can overcome our own, and I refuse to let that happen. I feel like giving up on them would be like giving up on ourselves…" Khan stared down at her with a carefully guarded expression as he considered her words, but before he could reply, they were very rudely reminded that they were not alone.

"Ahem. You two ready to go?" Kirk cut in, bringing them back to the real world. Everyone else was locked and loaded.

"Uh, yeah... let me just grab my hooks." Prima said tentatively as she spun around and picked them up off of the table behind them, wondering how long he had been standing there and how much he had overheard. "Okay, all set." She announced cheerfully, as if the captain hadn't just interrupted a deep discussion between herself and Khan about the fate of all mankind. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

—∞—

**Somewhere in Northern India:  
The Chrysalis Project, [exact location top-secret]  
Early evening of March 26, 1986  
**

Prima and Khan laughed giddily as they leaned back against the door of Dr. Kaur's apartment, high on life, having just returned from enjoying the Holi Day's festivities. They were covered in an array of colored powders from head to toe, drenched in them. They had managed to clean their feet and dry themselves off enough not to leave behind a trail of colorful tracks, but they were still a mess and quite a sight to behold. It was exhilarating. Khan had never felt so alive.

"I was wondering when you would return." An all too familiar voice spoke, causing the two truants to freeze and their blood to run cold. "You had me worried, Khan. I almost sent the guards out after you." Dr. Kaur told him as she turned on the light, illuminating the dark room. She had obviously anticipated their arrival. Khan cast a glance at the kitchen counter, where they had carelessly left Prima's plans for their escape lying out. _She knew._

"I see you have returned early, Mother." Khan replied calmly, keeping his expression carefully neutral. She shouldn't have been back until the next day, after the end of the convention. Prima very wisely decided to keep her mouth shut while she gauged the situation. One wrong move, and Dr. Kaur's terrible temper could flare up, bringing the full weight of the woman's wrath down upon them.

"Did you enjoy yourself at the Holi festival?" Dr. Kaur asked Khan coolly, keeping her sharp eyes trained directly on Prima, as she crossed the room, stalking towards them. She knew exactly whose idea this little misadventure had been. She knew exactly who to blame.

_SLAP!_

_"Mother!"_ Khan yelled sternly, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists angrily, when the woman hit Prima with a harsh backhanded slap across the face. The force of the blow was enough to form an angry red mark on the young girl's cheek and leave behind a deep scratch from the ring on the older woman's finger, drawing blood. To her credit, Prima didn't cry or try to hide behind Khan. She didn't even let herself flinch. She just continued to stare back defiantly at the seething woman before her.

_"How dare you!_! What were you thinking_!_?" Dr. Kaur shouted at Prima, ignoring Khan's outburst. "Do you have any idea what you've done_!_? I don't care what happens to you, but _Khan—!_?"

"?" Prima said, wondering why the doctor had stopped mid-rant and why she and Khan were both suddenly staring at her with wide eyes. She couldn't see what they could, that her cut had stopped bleeding and had already completely healed itself. Just like an augment.

"Prima… your cut…" Khan said, shocked. He could not believe his eyes. It couldn't be. Prima was supposed to be a normal human child—She was Dr. Dempsey's daughter.

"What cut…?" Prima asked, confused, as she raised her hands to her face. Her eyes widened when she felt the blood but no cut, instantly realizing what was wrong. Beneath the smears of color still left on her face, Prima paled as her own eyes widened in horror at her fatal mistake, and her eyes darted between Khan and Dr. Kaur, like a caged animal cornered by two dangerous predators. How could she have allowed herself to be exposed to them_!_? Khan was one thing, but his mother… Dr. Kaur was the worst—who knows what she would do to Prima and her father now that the cat was out of the bag_!_?

"Ha!" Dr. Kaur laughed abruptly, startling the children. They both stared at her in shock as she continued on in a fit of maniacal laughter. "Ahahaha! I see, yes… this certainly explains a lot of the questions I had about some of your past behavior, but it also raises many even more questions in their stead." She said, reaching into her pocket. She discreetly pressed the button for the portable and silent emergency alarm that all the staff carried to summon security should any of the augments start to get out of hand. "I do not know how they managed to pull it off, let alone hide your true nature for so long, but it is obvious now that your 'parents' have _stolen_ from Chrysalis. Unfortunately, your dear mother has already passed away, but rest assured, you and your father shall be dealt with accordingly." She told Prima ominously, her dark eyes glittered with a sort of twisted amusement at the look of horror that began to dawn in Prima's eyes just as security burst into the apartment. "Seize the girl." Kaur commanded them. "I want her properly contained. We don't know what other abilities she's been hiding."

"Khan!" Prima yelled, reaching for him, as four of the muscular guards grabbed her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but please—_Don't let her hurt my dad!"_ She cried desperately as they forcefully dragged her away, even though she was barely offering them any resistance. She knew causing too much trouble would only make things worse for herself and her father. She was pretty sure she could take it, but her father was only human. She was scared for him. The door to the apartment shut behind Prima and the guards, leaving Khan and his mother in silence.

"What are you going to do with her?" Khan asked, keeping his eyes on the door.

"That remains to be seen. Naturally, we'll have to run some tests on her in order to determine the extent to which she had been enhanced. She and her father will each be questioned about the method he used to create her… We may have to get a bit rough with them if they refuse to cooperate." Dr. Kaur replied, casting a surreptitious glance at him, her finest creation. She hoped Khan wouldn't attempt to do anything foolish, since he seemed to have formed an odd attachment to that strange child, but his expression was carefully guarded, devoid of any emotion.

"I see." Khan said simply, completely stoic.

Dr. Kaur stared at him for a moment longer before apparently deciding she was satisfied with his lack of empathy for Prima. The moment she was gone, he quickly turned on his heel and headed for his mother's room. She always kept the door locked, to remind him it was off-limits, but that made no difference to Khan. He had to get to the phone inside. Being the head of the project granted his mother certain privileges, such as being granted possession of the only landline capable of contacting the outside world within the compound. Khan very deftly pulled the pins from the knuckles of the door hinges and carefully grabbed the edges of the wooden door, slowly sliding it out of the frame at a slight angle, until the door's bolt was clear out of the lock. He then set the door aside, leaning it against the wall, and entered the forbidden room. He didn't know what was going on, and he wanted answers, _before_ they hurt Prima to get them. Khan picked up the brochure for the hotel where they were holding the convention that was conveniently lying next to the phone and dialed the number.

"Yes, hello. I would like to speak to Dr. Jack Dempsey." Khan told the receptionist when she picked up. "Tell him it's urgent. It's about his daughter."

—∞—

Dr. Kaur frowned as she examined the results of the various tests they had already finished performing on Primavera Dempsey. Initially, she had assumed the Dempseys had simply stolen one of the spliced augment embryos and altered the records without her noticing somehow, but it would appear things were not quite that simple. According to her DNA profile, she really was the biological daughter of Jack and Francesca Dempsey, but somehow the girl's genetic information had come to form in a similar structure to the other augments who were based on Khan, nearly identical, but still slightly inferior. Khan was not the first augment they had ever created at Chrysalis, but thanks to an unforeseeable but fortuitous mutation that was somehow brought on by the process the scientists used to clone the eggs of donors in order to allow them to create a greater variety of offspring from one donor, in combination with his father's genes, he had been the first augment to ever exhibit such godlike regenerative properties, which only served to enhance the other enhancements they had purposefully engineered him to have. Even though she and the other scientists had managed to figure out how to duplicate the process to create more special augments like him, none of the following children had ever displayed the same power and aptitude as him. They had come close with Kati, but even she was considered inferior in Kaur's eyes compared to her Khan. Kaur grit her teeth angrily as she stared at Prima's data. The girl was by no means perfect, but she was closer to being like Khan and Kati than Kaur would like to admit. Whatever her parents had done to that insufferable child, it had worked. But how the hell had a mere pediatrician and a child psychologist managed to create such a superior child on their own_!_?

"How is she?" Khan asked rather casually as he entered the lab, halting the woman's internal rant. Dr. Kaur took a moment to collect herself before she turned to face her perfect son. He had showered and changed into clean clothes, restored to his full dignity and grace without those absurd colors smeared all over his person. Those cold eyes of his bored into hers. He was so like his late father…

"She has a surprisingly high IQ and EQ, considering how she usually behaves. And she's almost as enhanced as Kati, physically at least." She replied, furrowing her brow, before turning back to her work. She had hoped Khan would lose interest in Prima once he realized the girl had been tricking him, and how inferior she must really be if she could blend in so easily with normal humans. She was a bad influence and completely beneath him.

Khan frowned. That wasn't what he had meant, and she knew it. Khan raised an eyebrow as a rather disgruntled looking security guard stomped into the lab to deliver his report on Prima's current status. It was Bharat Tamboli, the chief of security.

"She won't talk." He reported with a sort of grudging admiration. Prima was tough for a little girl, and while he found it frustrating that he couldn't get the information his boss wanted to hear because of it, she had begun to earn the man's respect by enduring his interrogation better than adults who were about three times the petite girl's size.

"Then you are authorized to use force." Dr. Kaur stated coldly without even batting an eyelash. The burly man frowned suspected augment or not, the prospect of beating on a little girl did not sit well with him.

"But—" He started to object, but he found himself silenced by an icy glare from the doctor. Fortunately, he was saved when Khan proposed an alternative.

"If I may, Mother, I would like to offer my assistance." The young man ventured cautiously. "I find it curious that she was able to hide her true nature from me for so long. I want to know how and why. She believes we are 'friends'. I can use this to make her talk." He suggested pragmatically. Dr. Kaur narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly suspicious of this sudden change of heart, but she seemed pleased, none the less.

"Very well." She assented, granting him permission to do as he saw fit.

—∞—

**The Chrysalis Detention Center,  
Cell block B**

Prima glanced up from her spot on the floor when she heard the door to her cell clank open. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise when she saw who it was, and great big smile of relief blossomed upon her face.

"Khan!" She exclaimed happily, obviously very glad to see him.

Unlike himself, she had not yet been given the opportunity to clean herself, and she was still soaked with color. He took the smaller hand reaching out to him in his own. It was cold. If she didn't change out of those wet clothes, she would get a… Khan's train of thought stopped there as he forced himself to remember what he had just learned. She wouldn't catch a cold from something as minor as this. She wasn't a normal human. She was enhanced, like himself.

"Khan…?" Prima said, concerned, when she noticed the serious expression on his face. "Khan, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I promised my dad I would keep it a secret, because he was afraid they would take me away… but I'm still me. The time we spent together wasn't a lie." She said urgently, staring up at him imploringly. Her soft, hazel eyes were silently begging him to believe her.

"I know." He said softly, pulling her into a comforting embrace, so that he could whisper in her ear without the guards overhearing him. "Your father is safe. I spoke to him, and he told me everything. You don't have to worry. I understand, and I am going to protect you." He gently reassured her, combing a hand through her tangled, curly hair. "Just play along for now. When the time is right, we will escape, together."


	15. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:  
**

_"Khan…?" Prima said, concerned, when she noticed the serious expression on his face. "Khan, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I promised my dad I would keep it a secret, because he was afraid they would take me away… but I'm still me. The time we spent together wasn't a lie." She said urgently, staring up at him imploringly. Her soft, hazel eyes were silently begging him to believe her._

_"I know." He said softly, pulling her into a comforting embrace, so that he could whisper in her ear without the guards overhearing him. "Your father is safe. I spoke to him, and he told me everything. You don't have to worry. I understand, and I am going to protect you." He gently reassured her, combing a hand through her tangled, curly hair. "Just play along for now. When the time is right, we will escape, together."_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 14: For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)]]**_

* * *

**Stardate: 2259.76  
The bridge of the ****_USS Excalibur_**

_"Forgiveness doesn't excuse their behavior. Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart. Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. When you hate something, you chain yourself to it."_

Prima's sage words echoed in Kirk's mind.

_"Enhanced or not, we are all human, and I've always believed that our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake ourselves. We like to think we're better, but the truth is we're just as fallible as they are, because we've inherited all of the same faults as members of the same race. In fact, I think some of them were even amplified in us alongside with our good qualities." She explained, smiling a little wanly. "So, I have to believe that they can overcome their flaws, because if not, then I might start to lose faith that we can overcome our own, and I refuse to let that happen. I feel like giving up on them would be like giving up on ourselves…" _

Once again, the young captain found himself watching the two augments out the corner of his eye while they all marched to the bridge together as inconspicuously as was possible for a group of eight people who were heavily armed with antique weapons. He couldn't help but overhear part of Prima and Khan's hushed and heated discussion when he had approached them. They had been so engrossed in their conversation, that for once they hadn't noticed that they had gained a third wheel until he had called attention to himself. Even though her words hadn't been directed at him, a lot of what Prima said to Khan had hit home for Kirk. She had given him a lot to think about, concerning not only his perception of genetically enhanced augments, but also himself, and his own internal struggle to come to terms with the treachery of Khan and Admiral Marcus, and his own reaction to those events…

"This is really eerie." Yeoman Rand commented nervously, clutching the colt pistol they had given her, as they all stepped onto the bridge. They had managed to reach their next destination without incident, which was great, but at the same time it was also kind of creepy that the corridors had been completely devoid of any other lifeforms. A ship with a crew of four hundred shouldn't feel so empty.

"Yes… Where is everyone? Shouldn't we have been met with more resistance than that?" Her fellow crew member, Yeoman Tamura asked, concerned. This wasn't some kind of trap, was it?

"Ladies, please don't say things like that. You might end up accidentally jinxing us." McCoy responded grimly. He and Spock were keeping an eye on Khan while he set to work on rewiring and rerouting the key control systems they needed. McCoy was armed with a flanged war mace made of brass, which he was really hoping he wouldn't have to use—He was a doctor, not a gladiator.

Spock had selected the Chinese Monk's spade for himself, as it strongly resembled a lirpa, a traditional Vulcan weapon which he was quite familiar with.

Dr. Singh was wielding an Indian gandasa, or axe-knife, also known as the 'elephant knife'. He was waiting on standby with the two yeomen as backup. Meanwhile, Kirk and Prima kept their eyes on the doors to the bridge, standing guard in case any unwanted visitors showed up.

Kirk was armed with a dolabra, a type of Roman battle axe, a machete, and an old USMC KA-BAR knife. The captain had actually wanted to try using a sword, but since he had no form of training in swordplay or fencing, Khan had rather bluntly stated that would be a bad idea, as a man unskilled with a blade would be more likely to injure himself than his opponent. Kirk begged to differ, but he was overruled in the end and had to settle for a weapon they had all felt would suit his skillset better. Those traitors.

They had let Khan have the three-foot long khanda sword, chakram, a katar, a tabar (North-Indian battle axe), and a kirpan dagger, but all he got was an axe and two knives?

Something was definitely wrong with that picture, in Kirk's opinion.

"Let's just be grateful you didn't have to waste any of that ammo. It won't last forever." Prima commented, smiling wryly. Since they doubted the two yeomen, who did not have extensive combat training, could handle one of the heavier weapons, they had decided to divide the twin pistols and bullets between the two of them, since shooting a gun wasn't that much different from firing a phaser, once you got used to the recoil. "Dahl probably just didn't see the point in guarding the bridge, since she can control everything from engineering, and the system is supposedly un-hackable." She added, smirking, as she cast a brief glance at Khan, even though he couldn't see her because he had his head buried a sea of wires, cables, and other miscellaneous ship parts from the control panel he was rewiring.

—∞—

**The Main Engineering Section**

Dr. Sylvia Dahl was in the middle of installing one of the many cybernetic implants that she had beamed over from the_ Cassiopeia_ for use on the converted members of the _Excalibur's_ crew. It would have been simpler to just kill them all, but she needed the larger starship for her assault on the Klingons, and it needed a crew to run it. Once the implants were installed, the crew would be bound to obey her every order and whim. They were virtually her slaves now. It was the perfect set up, as long as she never removed her headset. It was all going exactly according to her plan. Or so she thought, until the cyborg Bouchard made a disturbing announcement from his post at the auxiliary controls for the ship.

"Reporting: control of life support rerouted to bridge. Unable to regain access to system controls." He announced monotonously.

"What_!_?" Dahl snapped, whipping her head around. She hastily set her tools down and joined Bouchard at the control panel. "How is that possible_!_? No one could—_Khan_." She seethed, narrowing her eyes, as she realized who had to be responsible for such a feat. "Marla, that _stupid _girl! I told her not to let him out!" Unlike her cousin, Sylvia was not so naïve as to think a man like Khan would simply let them go once he knew just how badly he and several of his crew members had been used by them. Sylvia should never have allowed Marla to speak to him unsupervised. He was just as much a master of manipulation as she. Since Marla had yet to return to her, Sylvia concluded her cousin must either be dead or was willingly assisting Khan with his sabotage. Sylvia pressed a button on her headset. She briefly considered sending the remaining augment units, but decided it would be better to keep them closer, in case she needed to strengthen her defense in Engineering.

"Attention, units 01 through 012 are to report to the bridge—Repeat, report to the bridge. Your orders are to _terminate _anyone you may encounter there." She ordered her minions coldly as she pushed Bouchard aside and began frantically manipulating the system controls, altering codes and firewalls wherever she could. She had to find a way to keep Khan from regaining control of the ship. "Lieutenant Marla McGivers is no exception. You are to execute this command with extreme prejudice."

—∞—

**The Bridge**

"Tsk." Khan clicked his tongue in annoyance when new lines of code suddenly sprang up upon the screen before him, and he had to quickly disengage it before it could take effect and cut him out of the system.

"What? Did something go wrong?" Kirk asked, furrowing his brow with concern. Khan was too engaged in his digital battle over control of the ship's systems to grace him with a reply.

"It would appear Dr. Dahl has discovered our attempt to retake control of the ship's systems." Spock correctly deduced as he observed the display on the monitor over the augment's shoulder.

"Please tell me you at least managed to get control over life support." McCoy requested grimly. It would be just their luck if Dahl decided to cut off the air supply to their level and suffocate them all.

"Rest assured, Doctor. I have indeed secured control over life support." Khan replied patiently as his fingers continued to fly about the bridge's control panels and displays at an incredible speed. "However, if you continue to distract me, I cannot guarantee a favorable outcome for the rest of the system." He added succinctly. He looked calm enough, but Prima could tell he was a bit miffed. If Dahl was just as brilliant with a computer as she was with biotech, this could prove to be a serious problem…

_WOOSH._

"Well, well." Prima said, twirling the twin hooks in her hands, as the doors she was guarding opened automatically to admit the crowd of cyborgs on the other side entrance. "When it rains, it pours."

"Hold on—" Kirk said, moving to cross the room and help her, but Prima wasn't having that.

"—Not so fast, Captain." She told him, effortlessly decapitating the first cyborg to step forth. "I appreciate the offer, but I've got this. We need you right where you are." She added as she began busting out some real kung fu moves. She had the enemy right where she wanted them. As long as they were moving through the narrower door and corridors to get to the bridge, they could only enter a few at time, so she didn't have to worry about being overwhelmed and swarmed by them as long as she didn't allow any of them to get past her and circle back from behind. The most important thing right now was that they keep Khan's distractions to a minimum while he battled with Dahl fro control of the ship.

"Miss Dempsey is quite correct, Captain." Spock said, grabbing his weapon, as he crossed the room to stand beside his friend. "There is a chance the cyborgs may start coming from the other direction as well." As if summoned by his words, the doors before them also opened to reveal their own cyborg-zombie hoard.

"Ah, great." Kirk said, really glad he had his friend fighting by his side with that weird Chinese pole arm/staff thing. He was seriously doubting the effectiveness of the glorified axe he was holding in his hands.

"Don't you ever get tired of being right?" McCoy asked as he gripped his flanged mace, chagrined. He was ready to back them up they needed him, but combat really wasn't the doctor's specialty.

"Whoa!" Kirk exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise and disbelief, when he managed to, almost effortlessly, lop off a cyborg head with one swing of his dolabra. Nevermind the sword, this thing was pretty badass after all…

Dr. Singh and the yeomen watched, astonished and amazed, at brutal but artful warfare taking place before them. Spock's movements were efficient and utilitarian. Kirk's methods were crude but effective. And Prima—that girl put the 'art' in martial arts! She really was holding her own, despite facing the same relentless numbers as Spock and Kirk. Singh was in awe.

_DING._

"What was that?" Prima asked warily, as she sent another head flying, when some kind of ringing tone sounded to her right.

"Relax. It's just the turbolift. It's like an elevator, but without the cables." Kirk explained, chopping off the hand of the cyborg that was trying to convert him, while Spock decapitated it.

"But, Jim… the lift only moves when there's someone inside…" McCoy reminded him, frowning. It could really only mean one thing…

"… Shit." Kirk cursed just as lift doors opened, revealing five more cyborgs.

"Dammit." McCoy muttered darkly as he raised his mace, preparing to defend himself. He was a healer, not a killer. It went against his principals to take a life, whatever the reason.

_BANG!_ PHZZT…

McCoy blinked, stunned. Mere seconds after something had whizzed past his ear, a hole had appeared in the implant of one of the cyborgs closest to him. He watched with astonishment as the implant crackled with electricity and shorted itself out. The cyborg dropped to the ground, unmoving and completely lifeless. The doctor spared a glance back over his shoulder, and his eyes were met with the sight of Yeoman Rand and her smoking gun.

"Don't worry, Captain Kirk." Rand said determinedly as she cocked the pistol again. "We've got the lift covered."

McCoy smiled wryly. It looked like they had a real cowgirl on their hands. Tamura and Dr. Singh seemed slightly less eager to fight the bunch of cyborg zombies than their shipmate, but they still stepped up to the plate, joining McCoy and Rand to take a stand and help defend the bridge.

—∞—

"I don't know how much more of this I can take…" McCoy grumbled as he slumped into a chair. Like all the others' (apart from Prima), his breathing was understandably labored after having just finished off the entire hoard. It seemed they could finally take a moment to rest since it had been a whole five minutes since they beheaded the last cyborg, and there didn't seem to be signs of any more heading their way anytime too soon. Thank God for that! The two yeomen were completely out of ammo now.

"How are things on your end?" Kirk asked Khan, wiping some of the sweat from his brow.

"In addition to life support, I was able to secure helm control and communications, but I'm afraid there was too little time to reclaim anything else, so they shall have to do." Khan replied, frowning slightly. Somehow, Dahl had managed to get the best of him, and she had erected an encrypted firewall that was so complex, it would require several hours of his time to break it, and that was not an option at the moment. He had more important things to take care of, like wringing that insufferable woman's neck.

"Good. That's all we really need right now anyway." Kirk said, relieved that their plan hadn't been derailed. "Yeoman Rand, Yeoman Tamura. I don't suppose you two ladies know how to navigate or steer a starship, do you?" He asked, flashing them a charming smile. The rank of yeoman was usually more of a secretarial position, concerning paperwork rather than active duty. The two women glanced at each other. Could they really pull this off? I guess they were about to find out.

"As you know, Captain Kirk, Starfleet Academy requires all cadets to undergo basic training in such areas. I believe we can handle a few basic maneuvers." Rand replied, returning his smile, as the two women steeled themselves and took their new stations at the helm and navigation.

"Excellent. Let's get this ship turned around," Kirk told them, before turning to his first officer. "Mr. Spock, you have the comm."

Spock frowned slightly. It looked like he wanted to tell Kirk something, but he made no move to do so. In truth, the Vulcan was still reluctant to let Kirk go off on his own with Khan, even though he knew Prima would be there, too. This was what they had been arguing about while they were arming themselves back in med bay. Spock had insisted on going with them, but Kirk had insisted he needed Spock on the bridge to organize the others while they maneuvered through space that was so close to the edge of the Klingon neutral zone, just in case something unforeseen came up. Spock had to admit the captain had a point, and he knew once Jim had made up his mind like that, there was very little chance of changing it.

"Now wait just a damn minute. What are we supposed to do if more of those things come?" McCoy asked, raising an excellent point, since they were about to lose three of their best fighters.

"In that case, how about we fix the doors so they can't be opened so easily before we go?" Prima suggested.

"How can we do that when they're set to open automatically?" Dr. Singh asked. "We would have to break them."

"Hey, whatever works." Prima said, smiling wryly and shrugging.


	16. We Are The Champions

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:  
**

"Now wait just a damn minute. What are we supposed to do if more of those things come?" McCoy asked, raising an excellent point, since they were about to lose three of their best fighters.

"In that case, how about we fix the doors so they can't be opened so easily before we go?" Prima suggested.

"How can we do that when they're set to open automatically?" Dr. Singh asked. "We would have to break them."

"Hey, whatever works." Prima said, smiling wryly and shrugging.

* * *

_**[[Chapter 15: We Are The Champions]]**_

* * *

"Right, that should do it." Prima said, smiling, as she stepped back and admired her handiwork. Under Khan's instructions, she had just finished successfully disabling one of the doors to the bridge by punching a hole in the wall and disconnecting a few wires, while he took care of the other. Meanwhile, Kirk had been activating the turbolift's manual override, so that they would have control over it, in order to prevent Dahl from being able to trap them inside when they used it to leave the bridge. "Wish us luck." She quipped, as the three of them entered the lift and the doors closed behind them.

Spock spared a brief glance after them before getting down to business and heading for the communications console. He opened what he deemed to be a secure channel and hailed Starfleet.

—∞—

Prima had begun humming _The Girl From Ipanema_ to fill the awkward and tense silence duringtheir ride down to Engineering in the turbolift. It was tense because on one side, Khan was brooding darkly about how he was going to make Dahl pay for what she had done to his family, and awkward because on the other side, Kirk seemed to want to say something, but he wasn't quite sure if he should.

"I want to take Dahl alive… so, try not to kill her, okay?" Kirk finally said cautiously, glancing between Khan and Prima. He didn't think he'd have a problem getting Prima to go along with that, but, as expected, Khan was now shooting him a sharp, withering look of disapproval.

"I make no promises, Mr. Kirk." He replied icily, his voice full of disdain. If he did decide to spare Dr. Dahl, it certainly wouldn't be because _Kirk_ had requested it of him.

_DING._

The moment the doors opened when they reached Engineering, Prima and Khan sprang forth, weapons swinging. Kirk soon saw why. In that brief second, the two superhumans had already glimpsed and processed the number enemies waiting for them outside the lift. Apparently, a second wave had been sent to attack the bridge. They would never get the chance. In a mesmerizing display of dexterity and teamwork, Khan and Prima lashed out at the cyborgs as a deadly duet, dancing around as they took turns covering each other while simultaneously attacking the enemy. They were a living, breathing war machine. With the two of them working in concert so efficiently, Kirk didn't even have a chance (or a need) to draw his own weapon, and instead found himself carefully guarding Spock's homemade EMP bomb as he followed behind in the wake of their destruction. They needed to find whatever device Dahl was using to control the cyborgs and nanites so he could attach the bomb to it and set it to blow. In theory, once the EMP disabled the thing controlling them, the implants and nanites should all shutdown and cease to function, rendering the cyborgs and converted crew members harmless and inert.

And then, Kirk spotted it. Amidst the carnage and standard equipment was a strange machine that Kirk had never seen before. _That had to be it_.

Wasting no time, Kirk hurried over to it and opened the case containing the bomb so he could secure the small device to Dahl's machine. He was just about to activate it, when he felt something cold and hard being pressed against the back of his head.

"Do not move, _Captain Kirk_." Sylvia Dahl commanded sternly, narrowing her eyes, as she held her phaser to the young captain's head. She was furious they had managed to get this far.

"Damn. Looks like Kirk is in some serious trouble." Prima remarked after glancing in his direction, beheading another cyborg.

"Unfortunately, our situation doesn't appear to be much better." Khan commented when he saw the reinforcements Dr. Dahl had brought with her. All seven of his remaining missing crew members: Ares, Achilles, Bellona, Ceres, Elektra, Janus, and Zeus were now present and accounted for. The majority of this group had been some of their best fighters. They would not be nearly so easy to dispatch as the other cyborgs had been. Khan and Prima immediately positioned themselves back to back and braced themselves for a merciless onslaught. It looked like Kirk would be on his own for awhile.

"Raise your hands in the air, where I can see them." Dahl ordered Kirk as she took a step back, keeping her phaser trained on him.

Very slowly, Kirk did as she said, making sure to let one of his hands bump into the EMP's startup button on its way up.

"Good." Dahl said, smirking at his compliance. Once again, she increased the distance between them, until she was certain she had completely removed herself from his range of attack. "Now, turn around slowly, stand up, and face me."

"You'll never get away with this." Kirk told her as he straightened up, keeping his hands where she could see them. "Do you think Starfleet will forgive you for trying to start a war with the Klingons?"

"To be honest, Mr. Kirk. I really don't give a shit what Starfleet thinks." Dahl stated bluntly, scowling. "My father was the captain of a Starfleet science vessel, an esteemed officer who was one of their best and brightest. And, yet, when the Klingons murdered him and his entire crew in an unprovoked attack, Starfleet did _nothing_. The Klingons _took my only family_ _from me_, and Starfleet_ let them get away with it,_ without even so much as a slap on the wrists! I don't care what happens to such a spineless organization. As far as I am concerned, they betrayed me _first_. It doesn't matter which side wins, as long as I get to watch them both burn." She explained, grinning wickedly. Kirk could see the unmistakable gleam of madness in her eyes as she spoke. This woman was the worst kind of insane—batshit crazy and completely out of her mind. Kirk knew she was beyond reasoning with, but he had to keep her distracted until the EMP could finish warming up and go off.

"But your father died ten years ago. Why wait until now to take revenge?" he asked rather reasonably.

"I was only seventeen at the time, a powerless child." Dahl admitted somewhat regretfully. "But not anymore. I simply had to bide my time until I amassed enough influence and power of my own. Besides," She added, smirking deviously, "according to an ancient Earth saying, 'revenge is a dish best served cold', and it is _very_ cold in space. Wouldn't you agree, Captain?"

Kirk just glared at her, allowing his disapproval to show clearly on his face. Dahl frowned and finally noticed the small light flashing behind him.

"What the hell is—"

_—BTOOOM!_

An invisible burst of electromagnetic energy suddenly exploded out in large wave, radiating outwards from Dahl's central controlling device to fill the entire level. Kirk and Dahl were knocked off of their feet, as were the remaining cyborgs. Prima and Khan stumbled a bit, but managed to regain their footing, despite the feeling of disorientation washing over them. McCoy and Spock had warned them this might happen, since the human body also operating using its own kind of electrical impulses, but the effects would only be temporary, thankfully. At the moment, Prima was most concerned for Kirk, since he had been extremely close to the source of the EMP, and she and Khan had been a relatively safe distance away.

"Kirk! Hey, Captain, you okay_!_?" She shouted, wobbling slightly, as she tried to cross the room to check on him. She almost fell because of her compromised sense of balance, but thankfully Khan, who had naturally recovered first, caught her and helped her stay steady as they navigated their way through the carnage together. Dahl appeared to be out cold as they passed her. She had dropped her phaser, and her body was lying prone on the floor. She posed no threat to them at the moment. They would deal with her soon enough.

Kirk groaned as he tried to push himself up, but only managed to roll onto his side. Well, at least he wasn't stuck kissing the floor anymore…

"Still alive, I see." Khan commented dryly, suppressing a smirk.

"Ugh. Don't kill me off yet." Kirk grumbled, rubbing his sore head, as he finally managed to sit up. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Yes, we can see that." Prima said, smiling with relief, as she leaned against Khan.

_"Noooooo!_" Dahl suddenly roared furiously as she quit playing opossum, grabbed her phaser, and lurched back onto her feet, brandishing it at the three of them. "You'll pay for this!" She snarled angrily. Who should she kill first? Khan? Kirk? No. She wanted to make them suffer. Shooting them with a phaser would be too quick. Dahl's eyes landed on Prima, and she smirked evilly when she noticed how protective of her Khan seemed. _Perfect._ Dahl aimed the phaser at Prima and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. She stared at her weapon, aghast. Apparently the EMP had also fried the circuits in her phaser, rendering it useless. Dahl shrieked in frustration as she threw the useless thing on the ground, beside herself with fury. Kirk just stared at her, stunned by the savage display. All pretense of civilization was gone. The genius biotechnological engineer was ranting and raving like some kind of wild animal. Prima wasn't all that surprised. After all, the woman was obviously a lunatic. She had been unstable to begin with, and her defeat at their hands had finally pushed her over completely over the edge. It was time to throw Dahl into a straightjacket and padded cell. Hopefully they would throw away the key, while they were at it.

Khan smirked. _Just as planned._ He was about to move forward and begin taking his own frustrations out on that vile woman, when he spotted something moving behind her.

"_!_?" Dahl gasped, startled when the three remaining cyborg augments grabbed her. She tried to struggled against them and break free, even though she knew better than anyone how pointless her efforts were.

"Resistance is futile." They droned in unison as they raised their free hands, and the conversion needles clicked out.

"No, wait—" Dahl cried, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. They couldn't receive her orders anymore. Her eyes widened in horror as all three cyborgs stabbed her and began injecting the very nanites that she had designed into her bloodstream, converting. What a bitterly ironic twist of fate… Kirk, Khan, and Prima watched as the brilliantly insane woman's fierce eyes began to cloud over until her sharp, blue eyes had become dull and lifeless like those of a dead fish. She had been converted into a zombie, a victim of the monsters created by her own hand.

The three cyborgs dropped their sadistic creator's limp body once they had finished with her and took a step towards the remaining three humans, but before they could finish reaching for Kirk, who happened to be closest, three flashes of silver flew past the young captain's head. The last three cyborgs hit the ground with a thud. Three steel rings, Khan's chakram, were embedded so deeply in their necks, that it was a wonder any of their heads were still attached since they had definitely cut through and severed their spinal cords. Kirk released a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding in as he turned his head to glance questioningly back at the Khan, wondering why he had saved him. It just seemed so out of character for the dangerous villain he knew him to be… Did this mean Khan had decided to follow Prima's advice, after all?

"They can finally rest in peace now." Khan stated somberly, putting an arm around Prima, as she leaned into him for comfort. The two of them shared a moment of silence for their fallen comrades. Khan still wanted to make Dr. Sylvia Dahl suffer for the horrific abuse she had subjected his family to, but upon glimpsing her convulsing body, which was pathetically drooling all over the floor as the nanites from three separate cyborgs warred for control over her nervous system, he felt his rage subside somewhat. The process appeared to be excruciating. Perhaps receiving a taste of her own medicine would be retribution enough, for now.

"… I'm sorry about your crew." Kirk said sympathetically, catching him off-guard. In fact, both men were surprised by how sincere the young captain, his one-time-enemy actually was about it.

"Thank you." Prima said, smiling softly, accepting his goodwill without question. "I'm also sorry about what happened to the crew of the _Excalibur_." She added, knowing the losses on their side were even heavier. They might be able to save the people without implants, but they had had to kill everyone who had been turned into a full cyborg in self-defense, and that had been no small feat. There had been over a hundred of them. Ten members of their family and over a hundred innocent people had been martyred for the sake of Dr. Dahl's insane scheme for revenge. It was a drop in the bucket compared to the carnage from Khan's own rampage, but no matter how small on the cosmic scale of events, it was still a tragedy Prima wished could have been avoided.

—∞—

**The Bridge**

McCoy was pacing nervously as he and the others anxiously awaited the return of Kirk, Khan, and Prima, hopefully alive and in one piece. One consolation was that they already knew the three of them had successfully set off the EMP, or at least, that was Spock's conclusion after the lights had flickered and a few nonessential odds and ends ceased to function properly. DING.

McCoy stopped and turned his head to watch the doors of the lift open, along with Spock and the others. Aside from all the bloodstains and the occasional scrap of gray matter, they seemed to be perfectly fine.

"I'm so glad the elevator was still working! I don't know about you guys, but I'm feeling kind of exhausted after all of that." Prima exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief as she, Kirk, and Khan stepped out of the lift and onto the bridge. It would have sucked if they had to break through those extra-sturdy doors in order to enter the bridge, not that it wasn't completely do-able. Kirk nodded in agreement. Now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, he could feel his previous energy draining away. Who knew fighting cyborg-zombies and their crazy creator could be so exhausting…

"It's not an elevator, Prima. It's a turbolift." Khan corrected her, shaking his head. He was the only one of the three who wasn't dragging his feet.

"Where is Dr. Dahl?" Spock asked. "Is she dead?" He asked when they hesitated, eying Khan with suspicion.

"No, Mr. Spock. I regret to inform you that Dr. Dahl is still alive, though not very well, at the moment. You see, in the end she fell victim to her own creations." Khan replied coolly, not at all appreciating the attitude.

"We dropped her off at the brig on our way back. Without her nanites controlling them, the remaining crew is perfectly harmless. They just seem to wander around listlessly or stare off into space." Kirk added, letting out a deep sigh of relief, as he plopped himself down in the empty captain's chair. It felt good to get off his feet after running around and kicking ass all day.

"I'll leave her for last, then." McCoy decided. It shouldn't do her any more harm than the others to stay a zombie for a little while longer, and it would keep her from trying to cause trouble in her cell. "Are you ready, Dr. Singh? Although help should be here soon, I'd like to get started curing these people as soon as possible." There was no reason to let them suffer any longer now that it was safe to move freely about the ship.

"Yes, I feel the same way, Dr. McCoy." Dr. Singh replied, nodding. The two men wasted no time in entering the turbolift and setting the level for med bay as their destination.

"Good luck." Prima called after them.

"So, Spock," Kirk said, turning to address his first officer, who appeared to be locked in a staring contest with Khan, "Judging by what McCoy just said, I take it you were able to contact Starfleet?"

"Yes, Captain." Spock replied dutifully, reluctantly backing down, so he could face Kirk. "We have orders to proceed to Starbase 6. The _USS Lexington_ will meet us halfway to supply a skeleton crew and medical assistance before escorting us the rest of the way to the starbase." He explained. While the two yeomen were performing admirably under the circumstances, they were no where near experienced enough to dock a starship on their own. That would require more experienced hands, and it was also unwise to leave the engineering section empty for an extended period of time, as much of the equipment needed to be monitored on a regular basis.

"Great. Sounds like you guys have got everything under control." Prima said, smiling wryly. "So… anyone know where a girl can get a clean change of clothes and a shower around here?" She asked hopefully. Prima enjoyed a good fight just as much as the next girl, but being covered in blood and so on wasn't exactly her idea of a good time…


	17. Please Forgive Me

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:  
**

"So, Spock," Kirk said, turning to address his first officer, who appeared to be locked in a staring contest with Khan, "Judging by what McCoy just said, I take it you were able to contact Starfleet?"

"Yes, Captain." Spock replied dutifully, reluctantly backing down, so he could face Kirk. "We have orders to proceed to Starbase 6. The _USS Lexington_ will meet us halfway to supply a skeleton crew and medical assistance before escorting us the rest of the way to the starbase." He explained. While the two yeomen were performing admirably under the circumstances, they were no where near experienced enough to dock a starship on their own. That would require more experienced hands, and it was also unwise to leave the engineering section empty for an extended period of time, as much of the equipment needed to be monitored on a regular basis.

"Great. Sounds like you guys have got everything under control." Prima said, smiling wryly. "So… anyone know where a girl can get a clean change of clothes and a shower around here?" She asked hopefully. Prima enjoyed a good fight just as much as the next girl, but being covered in blood and so on wasn't exactly her idea of a good time…

* * *

_**[[Chapter 16: Please Forgive Me]]**_

* * *

**New Delhi, India — Capital of the New Asian Empire  
Rashtrapati Bhavan  
February of 1996**

It was unusually cold that evening for February in India. As Prima gazed up at the stars in the night sky, she could see her breath floating up before her, rising to the heavens. She wished she could go with it. Even though she had made up her mind to follow through with this decision, she wasn't particularly looking forward to what she new had to be done next. Prima rubbed her hands together, trying to keep warm in the chilly winter night, while she waited for Kati to come and escort her inside. Even though most augments ran hot compared to the average human, due to their more efficient blood circulation, Prima's hands and feet always felt the cold more than the rest of her body, a trait she had inherited from her mother. Ignoring the two human guards on duty, Prima took a step closer to the ornate iron gate so she could peer through the rungs at the beautiful building behind them. The Rashtrapati Bhavan (Hindi for 'President House) had served as the massive and elegant home for the President of India. It had essentially been the Republic of India's version of the White House, a majestic and noble symbol of a democratic nation. Now, however, it was rapidly becoming a symbol for something quite different—a benevolent dictatorship, one that was beginning to fall out of favor with its subjects.

"Prima!" Kati exclaimed happily, startling Prima out her thoughts, as she yanked open the large gates and pulled the younger girl into a spine-cracking hug.

"K-Kati… can't… breathe!" Prima squeaked weakly, turning a bit blue in the face from lack of oxygen.

"Oops! Sorry, I sometimes forget how delicate you can be." Kati said, smiling wryly, as she loosened her grip, allowing the petite girl to breathe. "But you deserved that for making us worry about you. Three years without a single word from you, and then suddenly you contact us saying you want to speak to Khan in person? Your audacity simply astounds me." She shook her head. "We were beginning to think you had become a war casualty!"

"I'm sorry." Prima apologized sincerely, smiling sheepishly. "I tried to send letters on multiple occasions, but you know how difficult it is to get any form of communication outside the country these days. The rest of the world has practically reverted back to the dark ages. I'm surprised I haven't been burnt at the stake after getting accused of being a witch yet." Only the government and certain underground movements who were lucky enough to possess a handful of working ham radios were able to be able to establish contact with the rest of the world at the time. The United States of America was just barely hanging on, but they were still better off than most of their old allies across the sea. Europe was in complete and utter chaos. It was a black hole, especially Russia. People went in, and they never came back out.

After some of their fellow augments broke away and proceeded to seize power in over forty other nations by enslaving and/or killing anyone they found to be less superior than themselves, commiting genocides and war atrocities that would make even Hitler blush. They had become an even bigger threat than the war they had all been created to fight. Instead of becoming the peacemakers of our time, they had created Hell on earth. It was no small wonder the other humans had come to hate and fear the augments, without exception. Despite having proclaimed their current ruler to be 'the best of tyrants' for leading them into an era of peace while the rest of the world remained wartorn, during his four year reign as absolute ruler over an empire that covered more than a quarter of the planet, from Asia through the Middle East, the people were wary and suspicous of Khan after learning their fearless leader's true origins. Khan had begun forming his empire with one goal in mind: to create a world where everyone, augments and humans, could live together freely and in peace. However, as the empire grew and the world outside it became more savage and chaotic, his iron grip tightened on the young nation. Unlike some other nations ruled by augments, under Khan's rule there were no massacres and no wars of aggression until he was attacked, but that didn't seem to be enough for the people any more. The fact remained that the very restrictions, rules, and regulations that Khan had felt necessary to place upon his subjects, in order to keep them safe, had resulted in a gross lack of personal freedom. He had created a gilded cage, and the people had begun to notice. They had also begun to notice something equally dangerous, that he was not a normal human. And now, the people were afraid of Khan, afraid he would turn on them become just like the other augments—mad, power-hungry, vicious, and merciless. They were like caged animals. They were becoming so frightened, so paranoid, and feeling so cornered, that it was just a matter of time before they were willing to bite the hand that had fed and kept them safe over the past years. The peaceful empire Khan had so carefully constructed was in danger of crumbling.

"Well, at any rate, Khan will be pleased to see you." Kati said as they began the long trek up the path to the front door, smiling.

"Not when he hears what I have to say…" Prima mumbled nervously under her breath.

"What was that?" Kati asked curiously, not quite catching her meaning. She must have misheard.

"It's nothing. I've really missed all of you, too." Prima replied, shaking her head, before returning Kati's smile. "I just wish I was visiting under better circumstances."

"Yes, that assassination attempt was completely uncalled for." Kati said, frowning slightly. "But seeing you again should improve his mood. I didn't tell him about your visit, or he would have come out to greet you himself. I thought it would be a nice surprise for him, even if you are here as an envoy for your country." She added on a lighter note.

"Well, he'll definitely be surprised, that's for sure." Prima replied, smiling wryly. She could only hope it would be as pleasant as Kati thought it would be, but that was extremely unlikely, given the news she was about to break to him. She just hoped he wouldn't shoot the messenger.

—∞—

**Khan's Imperial Office**

"They've finished interrogating the prisoner." Athena reported, referring to Khan's would-be assassin. "He insists he was working alone, that no one hired him or put him up to it. If you ask me, he's just a stray fanatic, mad as a hatter. I don't think you need be too concerned, since this appears to be an isolated incident, but I'll make sure Zeus takes the proper measures to increase security, just in case."

"Good." Khan said, leaning back in his leather chair. "You look tired, Athena." He observed. Athena had always been very reliable and loyal, but she wasn't very hardy for an augment. That was why he had chosen her to be his secretary. The work wasn't too strenuous, and he needed someone he knew he could trust. "Perhaps you should turn in for the night. I'll finish up here."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir." She replied gratefully as she bowed respectfully and bid him good night. She was clearly looking forward to spending some quality time with her bed. Before she could make her exit, there was a knock at the door. Athena glanced back at Khan, wondering who it could be at this time of night and whether she should let them in or not. Khan nodded, giving her permission to do so.

"Ta-da~!" Kati exclaimed as soon as the door was open, grinning like a Cheshire cat, as she made jazz hands around the petite girl standing in front of her. Khan and Athena's eyes widened before they broke out into smiles, pleasantly surprised to see Prima alive and in one piece after having been apart for so long. Being the closest, Athena was the first to reach her.

"Primaaa!" Athena cried with delight, embracing her old friend. "Oh my God, I'm so glad you're okay! What are you doing here? How did you manage to arrange transportation?" She asked curiously, staring at her with wonder. Well, if anyone could find a way across the Atlantic and/or Pacific oceans when all commercial flight had screeched to a halt, it was definitely Prima.

"Well, about that…" Prima began a bit hesitantly, when Khan stood up and began stalking towards them. She felt a sharp stab of guilt upon seeing how obviously pleased he was to see her again, even though she knew this was ultimately for his own good.

"Now, now, Athena." Khan chided her lightly, his mood considerably improved. "There will be plenty of time for that later, once she has had time to settle in. I'm sure Prima would like a chance to refresh herself. It can't have been an easy journey."

"Ah, yes. Of course." Athena said, smiling apologetically for her lack of manners. It was obvious Khan wanted a chance to catch up with her on his own. Prima always had been his favorite, even before they knew she was one of them. "I'll go arrange to have a room made up for you." She told her friend, smiling. "It's a bit chilly tonight. Shall I have some hot chai tea sent up?"

"Oh, you don't have to go through all that trouble for me." Prima objected, but she was overruled.

"Nonsense! You're our friend and our guest. Don't be such a stranger." Athena insisted, giving Prima's hand a quick squeeze, before leaving to make the proper arrangements.

"Right. Well, I'm sure the two of you have a lot of catching up to do, so I'll leave you to it." Kati added, winking, as she followed Athena out.

"It is good to see you again." Khan told Prima once they were alone, gently cupping her face in his hands. "I'm glad you finally decided to return to us." He said, gazing down at her affectionately.

"I can't stay, Khan." Prima replied sadly, removing his hands so she could hold them in her own. "And, anyway, you won't want me to once you've heard what I have to say."

"What do you mean?" Khan asked, frowning. He was genuinely puzzled to hear such a statement and see such a troubled look on her face.

"I'm afraid this isn't just a social call. I'm here in an official capacity… on behalf of my country's government." She explained, carefully watching to see what his reaction would be to this news. "I came to warn you."

"Warn me? About what?" Khan asked, furrowing his brow.

"A virus has been specially developed to wipe out augments." Prima stated gravely. "You and the others need to leave before they have a chance to release it."

"How is it you know of all this?" Khan asked.

"Because… I'm the one who made it." She replied cautiously.

"You what_!_?" Khan asked incredulously, grabbing her by the shoulders. He looked into her eyes, searching for any signs of regret or remorse, but he found none, only a sliver of guilt and grim determination. He hadn't been forced. She did it on purpose. _"Why?"_ He demanded furiously, feeling immensely betrayed. How could she do this to them, to _him—_after _everything_ they had been through together? Was this her father's doing? He never should have let her leave with Jack. He should have kept her with him, even if it meant using force, anything to prevent _this_.

"I needed leverage." She replied calmly, determined not to back down or show fear. She didn't think Khan would kill her until, but he could still hurt her very badly. He had trouble controlling himself whenever his temper became so inflamed. "They're desperate, Khan. It's getting to the point where they're even considering risking a nuclear winter to stop the war. They've become so prejudiced and paranoid that they won't just stop with Lucian and the other troublemakers. They aim to get rid of all augments. It's only a matter of time before they come after you, too. In fact, they've started already, haven't they?" She asked. "The assignation attempts? I heard from Kati, a man—"

"Kati talks too much." Khan snapped coldly. He was trembling from the effort of suppressing his rage, just barely managing to contain it. Those fools wanted to do away with him, and she was helping them do it…!

"I know. It's selfish of me, but no matter what… I want you to live… even if I can't be with you. Even if it means making you hate me." Prima said sadly. "Since it was going to happen sooner or later anyway, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I used the virus to negotiate with them. There's a prototype for a spaceship capable of long-distance space travel. More specifically, it's a sleeper ship equipped with special cryogenic pods. I made them agree to trade it in exchange for the vaccine. You can use it to leave Earth and start a new life elsewhere. I've taken steps to ensure the government won't be able to use the actual virus until after you're gone. You can have your own planet instead of fighting over this one. Right now, this planet isn't big enough for us to share, but maybe, someday, they'll catch up to us, and the other humans will be able to accept our kind without fear."

"And I'm supposed to believe your government will just let me walk away? What about the others, Kati and Athena? Did you really think I would just leave them?" He asked bitterly. The chances of him surviving such a long trip and finding another planet that was capable of supporting life on his own with the technology of the time were astronomical.

"No, of course not. I know you would never leave them. I would never ask for that. They're like family to me, too, remember? I made sure the ship would have enough room for everyone. There are 84 of you, and the ship was designed to carry a crew of 100. No one has to be left behind. I know it's a dangerous gamble I'm asking you to take, but if anyone can defy the odds and tame a new world, it's _you_." Prima replied, furrowing her brow. Did he really think that little of her now? "As for them allowing you to leave... you don't need to worry about that. Like I said, they're desperate. They're willing to turn a blind eye to you and the others if it means obtaining a weapon that will allow them defeat the more vicious and bloodthirsty augments like Lucian. A lot of the people I've dealt with respect you just as much as they fear you. They don't really want you as an enemy, they're just so scared that they've begun to lash out at anything and everyone who could pose a threat to them. I know none of you want to believe this, but sooner or later the other humans are going to overwhelm and destroy us, with or without the virus. It's just a question of whether or not the planet itself will end up becoming a victim too. With the virus, at least they won't have to resort to nuclear warfare. If they start shooting missiles at each other, everyone loses. There will be nothing left but ash." She argued passionately, staring up at him with hazel eyes burning with determination. "You know I'm right, Khan. You can hate me if you want, but… _Please_, I'm begging you, don't pass up this opportunity to save yourself and the others just to spite me."

For a moment that felt like an eternity (but couldn't have been more than a minute in reality) Khan simply continued to stare coldly at her with those icy blue eyes of his. If looks could kill, Prima would have already been six feet under ages ago. The air in the room was so thick and heavy that you could have cut it with a knife. It was suffocating, like drowning on dry land.

"From what you have just said… it sounds as though you have not actually delivered the virus to them yet." Khan said eventually, breaking the oppressive silence.

"No, I'm not that stupid. It's somewhere safe, with someone I know I can trust not to abuse it. They won't get it until after the spaceship's left." Prima replied, mustering up a slight, rueful smirk. Despite what she had just told Khan, she knew it would be naïve to trust the government so blindly. A wounded animal was most dangerous when it felt cornered. She had no doubt that the moment she placed that weapon in their hands, they would use it. "But if I don't return to the States within three days, they will assume you've killed me. They will take that to mean that you do not intend to leave peacefully, so the deal will be withdrawn, and they'll release the virus immediately." She added a bit more grimly when his expression continued to remain just as stony and unyielding. He was on his guard now, unreadable. What he would do next was anyone's guess.

It was that moment Athena returned with the tea.

"Oh… am I interrupting something?" She asked cautiously, immediately sensing the tension in the room. Khan's jaw tensed as he slowly removed his hands from Prima. Though she hadn't made a sound, he was certain two nasty, deep tissue bruises were already forming on her slender arms beneath the coat she had bundled herself up in. He quickly turned away from her, unable to bare looking at her anymore.

"Get her out of my sight." Khan hissed lowly, keeping his back to the two girls. "Athena, escort Miss Dempsey to the room you have so graciously prepared. Make sure she doesn't leave it. She is to be confined to her quarters until further notice. _That is an order._" He finished sternly, sensing his trusted secretary was about to object.

"… Yes, Sir." Athena replied hesitantly, glancing questioningly at her friend. She had never seen the two of them like this before. What on earth happened while she was gone…? She knew Khan was in a dangerous mood, so she very wisely opted to do as she was told for now. "Follow me." She told Prima, turning to lead her out of the room with the tea tray still in hand. Hopefully Prima would be able to explain the situation to her once they were alone.

Khan stood silently before his desk, trembling with all of the pent up anger, hurt, and betrayal, he had forced himself to withhold while facing Prima. The moment the sound of the echo of their footsteps as they made their way down the hall faded away, he finally allowed himself to snap.

_"AAAAAAAARRRRGH!"_ He roared furiously, throwing his desk clear across the room, smashing it to pieces.

—∞—

**Three hours later…**

"Have you had enough time to calm down, or should I fetch more breakable items for you to vent your anger on?" Kati inquired calmly upon entering Khan's office to find him standing in the middle of the room, the epicenter of mass destruction. Even the curtains were in tatters. She was a bit annoyed he had ruined the nice feng shui she had going on, but better the furniture and décor than Prima's neck.

"You knew." Khan ground out accusingly, glaring at his sister.

"Yes." Kati replied unapologetically. "Of course. I am in charge of foreign relations, after all." Kati had arranged the whole meeting after Prima had contacted them, with her government's help.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He demanded darkly.

"Because I agree with Prima." Kati replied without hesitation. "I wanted you to hear her out. It may seem like a betrayal on the surface, which is what she let her government believe so they would let her have a longer leash, but she is doing this to help us, Khan. Why else do you think she's so determined to sacrifice herself?"

"Sacrifice?" Khan scoffed with disbelief. "While we are to be set adrift in the dangerous, cold black of space, she gets to remain here and continue to play 'human' with her father. You call _that_ a sacrifice?" He seethed.

"You mean… she didn't tell you?" Kati asked, frowning as she furrowed her brow.

"Tell me what?" Khan asked testily.

"Our little Prima has very nobly decided fall on her own sword." Kati replied sardonically, letting out a bitter laugh. "She isn't going to take it, the vaccine."

Khan froze. He felt his blood run cold at the very thought. _No. She wouldn't…_

"I know." Kati continued much more sympathetically after seeing her normally stoic brother's expression of shock and horror. She felt the same way. "I didn't want to believe it either, but it she plans to spread the virus by infecting herself with it once we are gone. She is going to make herself 'patient zero'. She won't survive the week."

"Why?" Khan asked quietly as this latest blow sunk in, still stunned. As furious as he was with Prima, he never would have actually killed her. He found he couldn't imagine a world without her in it. Or, rather, he refused to. Being separated by an ocean was one thing, but death… He would not allow her to go where he could not follow. Not Prima. While his feelings were still somewhat conflicted on the matter of her 'betrayal', Khan knew one thing. He couldn't let Prima die. "Kati, tell the Americans I will accept their terms of surrender, on one condition…"

"Yes, Sir." Kati replied dutifully, smiling slightly in relief. She knew Khan would never abandon Prima. "It shall be done without fail."

It would be three hundred years before Khan was finally able to fully understand Prima's actions at that time, when he found himself struggling to save his surviving family members from Marcus after being told he had already lost the one he held most dear to a malfunction in her cryotube. It was only then that he understood how heavily such a situation could weigh on the mind and test one's spirit. It was only then that he finally realized exactly how much _love_ had been behind Prima's decision to risk making him her enemy—all just to save him and the rest of their dysfunctional 'family' from a fate that no one but she and Kati were willing to admit was threatening to overtake them. He could see that now. Hindsight was always 20/20.

And it had taken almost losing her forever for him to realize just how much his little Prima (and the fine woman she had grown to be) truly meant to him. He _loved_ her—truly, madly, and deeply. And now that he finally had her back, he was never letting go again. He was going to do whatever it took to keep her and the rest of his family safe. Even if it meant swallowing his pride as an augment.


	18. All Right Now

I own nothing but my OC.

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**Previously:  
**

_It would be three hundred years before Khan was finally able to fully understand Prima's actions at that time, when he found himself struggling to save his surviving family members from Marcus after being told he had already lost the one he held most dear to a malfunction in her cryotube. It was only then that he understood how heavily such a situation could weigh on the mind and test one's spirit. It was only then that he finally realized exactly how much love had been behind Prima's decision to risk making him her enemy—all just to save him and the rest of their dysfunctional 'family' from a fate that no one but she and Kati were willing to admit was threatening to overtake them. He could see that now. Hindsight was always 20/20._

_And it had taken almost losing her forever for him to realize just how much his little Prima (and the fine woman she had grown to be) truly meant to him. He loved her—truly, madly, and deeply. And now that he finally had her back, he was never letting go again. He was going to do whatever it took to keep her and the rest of his family safe. Even if it meant swallowing his pride as an augment._

* * *

_**[[Chapter 17: All Right Now]]**_

* * *

Prima took a deep, calming breath as she turned off the shower. She took a moment to gather herself before exhaling, stepping out of the shower, and grabbing a fresh, clean towel. She hoped it wouldn't be too obvious that she had been crying, but she couldn't help it. Once she had a quiet moment alone with nothing else to think about, her grief over losing Athena had slammed into her like a brick wall. Prima wrapped the towel around herself and approached the mirror, carefully examining her features to make sure her eyes weren't too raw from crying. She was very grateful to Yeoman Rand for suggesting that she should use her quarters to freshen up away from the guys, because Khan had enough to worry about with his impending trial without adding her problems on top his own.

"You took your time." Khan's deep voice rumbled from behind, startling her. She had been so focused on her own image in the mirror that she hadn't noticed him sneaking up behind her. He had apparently finished his own shower some time ago, as he was once again immaculate and his slightly damp dark hair was neatly combed back. He was wearing a clean uniform that he had no doubt 'borrowed' from the owner of the room he and Kirk had decided to use. Prima was a little surprised Kirk had decided to let Khan wander around on his own. Not that anyone 'let' a man like Khan do anything, but still.

"I couldn't help it. My hair is a tangled mess, so it took forever to clean it properly." Prima replied a bit sassily, pouting slightly, as she tried to suppress her blush. "And do you mind? I'm only wearing a towel here."

"No, I don't mind." Khan purred smoothly as he moved in even closer and began carefully running his large hands through her damp and tangled curls, slowly, even sensually, combing out the knots in her brunette hair with his long fingers. Prima sighed blissfully as she allowed herself to relax against him and enjoy his touch. For few blessed moments, the rest of the world and all of its problems and complications just faded away…

Until Khan hurled her back into reality with the one phrase that had the power to make anyone who heard instantly think of everything they had ever done wrong in their life.

"We need to talk." He stated calmly. "Or, more precisely, I need to tell you something, and you need to listen." He amended when he felt her tense slightly under his gentle touch, not wishing to startle her. "I love you." He whispered urgently, brushing his lips against her ear. He felt her petite figure tremble in his arms as a shiver of pleasure traced its way down her spine.

For a moment, Prima was sure her knees would give out, but she managed to hold herself together and exhibit enough self-control to keep standing on her own two feet while her mind struggled to process Khan's marvelous and absolutely flooring revelation. After having already endured years of what she thought was a completely unrequited (romantic) love, naturally, her heart's first instinct was to throw herself at him and shout praise to the heavens for granting her such a miracle, but her brain stepped in to apply the brakes before she could make a fool of herself. Yes, she loved Khan, and she knew he would never purposefully do anything to hurt her, but was his love the same as hers? After all, Prima had grown up watching him engage in numerous affairs and escapades with women who were far more beautiful than her. They had all been intense and passionate, but they had also been incredibly short-lived. Without fail, Khan would soon grow bored with the woman or begin to find the relationship tiresome. Before long, this would inevitably result in him terminating their romantic relationship. For many of those women, who had simply been infatuated with him and/or attracted to his strength and power, this had been enough. A brief taste of what could have been without any lingering consequences. But Prima didn't want that. She just wanted him, flaws and all. Forever.

"Khan…" She whispered back breathlessly. Her own need, love, and longing for him shone all too clearly in her vulnerable hazel orbs. "… Please, don't say you love me unless you really mean it, because I might do something crazy like believe it." And she wanted to, oh how she so desperately wanted for this to be true. But after guarding her heart for so long in order to remain by his side without ruining their friendship, Prima was afraid to lower her defenses. It felt too good to be true, like a dream.

"Prima… You don't seem to understand." Khan said patiently, gently caressing her face. Her hesitation was understandable. Until now, he had never given any indication that he might have felt anything more than friendship or _familial _love for her, as he himself had only just recently recognized his deeper, more romantic feelings for her. His confession must have come as quite a shock. "When I first met you, I had no idea how important you would become to me, but now I know better. You have bewitched me, body and soul. My stomach drops when I think of anyone else having you. There is not one person in this world that I want more than you. I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize something so important." He whispered urgently, passionately, as he pulled her even closer. "What do you want? Tell me. Whatever it is, I will gladly get it for you if you will only be mine." Prima surprised him by laughing. He pulled back slightly, about to scold her, but what he saw next bewildered him even more. She was crying and smiling at the same time. "You're crying…" He observed warily. He told her he loved her, and she started crying… Khan wasn't sure what he was supposed to do in this situation. This had never happened to him before.

"I'm crying… _sniff_… because I'm so happy I don't know what to do with myself!" She told him, laughing mostly at herself for reacting in such a confusing way, but also partly at Khan's priceless expression of panicked bewilderment. "I'm already yours, Khan. Have been for years. I love you. And I don't need anything, just you. That's it. All your flaws, mistakes, smiles, laughs, sarcasm, the good, the bad. Everything. I just want _you_." She said, smiling, as she pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss that was long overdue. Relieved and elated to receive such a favorable response to his confession, Khan wasted no time in returning her amorous affections. The pink towel hit the floor, and, together, the two of them slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they would most likely never fully recover, as nothing would ever be the same again. And that suited them just fine, for the best was yet to come.

Unfortunately, just as they were getting to the _really_ good part, there came a knock at the door.

"Is Khan in there, Prima? I can't find him anywhere! Hey, can you hear me?"

"Y-Yeah! He's here! Be with you in a minute, just give us—I mean, me—a moment!" Prima shouted back, a bit startled by the sudden unwanted interruption. "Damn. I need to get dressed before he decides to come in here." She grumbled, leaning against the still mostly dressed Khan.

"Tsk." Khan clicked his tongue in disappointment and irritation. _"Kirk._ I may kill him after all…" He muttered darkly.

"I know how you feel, but sometimes being the bigger person means smiling and nodding while fantasizing about punching the other person in the throat." Prima said sympathetically as she reluctantly withdrew from his arms so she could get dressed. Couldn't Kirk have given them just a little more time together? Was that too much to ask?

"Oh, is that how you do it?" Khan asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly as he watched her, enjoying the view.

"Sometimes." Prima admitted, blushing under his intense gaze. She finished pulling on the red female uniform and tossed Khan's discarded shirt at him, which he of course caught effortlessly. "I usually just resort to sarcasm in most cases. I find beating the crap out of people is frowned upon in most polite societies."

"Yes. What a shame." Khan deadpanned as he pulled on his shirt. He leaned down to give Prima one last kiss on the forehead before he strode over and answered the door while Prima pulled on her boots.

"Can I help you, Captain?" He asked. Khan's words were civil enough, but Kirk could have sworn there was an underlying message of _get lost _being implied somewhere in the tone of his voice.

"Just wanted to make sure you were where you said you'd be." Kirk replied nonchalantly, despite the dangerous edge to the augment's voice. "I… appreciate… your help with Dahl, but my orders to bring you back to Earth for your trial still stand." He said, managing to sound almost apologetic, yet steadfast and determined at the same time.

"You needn't be concerned, Mr. Kirk. I won't run." Khan stated resolutely. It was time to pay the piper. Kirk eyed him skeptically for a few moments, but then his expression softened slightly and a hint of confusion and wonder entered his cerulean eyes.

"No, I don't think you will." Kirk said, amazed to see that Khan really meant it. "… But why?" Kirk couldn't help but ask. He had expected Khan to make more of an effort to avoid going back into the brig or protesting his innocence. Khan wasn't the type to give up so easily.

"If we run now," Prima said, joining Khan at the doorway, "we'll be running for the rest of our lives. Don't you agree that it would be better to settle up now, rather than, to have to keep looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives? Besides, the rest of our friends are still back on Earth. We want to prove that they deserve to be given a second chance."

"I see." Kirk said, smiling slightly. Somehow, their circumstances now reminded him of his own back when he had desperately tried to plead with Admiral Marcus to spare his crew. He glanced at Khan. Even though he knew he should hate the man (he had even wanted to kill him himself at one point), Khan seemed to be proving himself to be more human than monster all the time now. "Then, as long as you intend to cooperate with us and go through with the trial, I'll see what I can do for them." Kirk promised.

"Really_!_?" Prima gasped excitedly, lighting up like a Christmas tree with hope.

"Really." Kirk said, smiling at her enthusiasm. It was contagious.

"… Thank you… Captain." Khan said, surprising them both. While he had his doubts about just how much the young captain would be able to help them given the circumstances, he could tell the offer was sincere, and he appreciated that.

"Don't thank me yet." Kirk replied, smiling wryly, a little bemused by this turn of events. "I also promised to do my best to make you pay for what you did before, remember?"

"Naturally. How could I forget?" Khan replied stoically.

"Aw, and the two of you were getting along so well…" Prima cut in, shaking her head, as she smiled wryly.

"We were not getting along." They both retorted in sync. The two men froze and each cast an accusing glance at the other.

"Oh-ho, man! That was classic. You should see the looks on your faces." Prima told them, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Priceless."

Kirk and Khan were saved the dignity of having to respond to that when Kirk's communicator beeped.

"Yes?" Kirk asked, quickly answering it.

"Requesting your presence on the bridge, Captain. The _Lexington_ has arrived." Spock reported calmly.

"Alright, I'm on my way." Kirk answered, closing his communicator and ending the transmission. "Sorry, but I'm going to have ask you to get back in your cell. We don't want anyone freaking out if they see you running around lose." He told Khan. He didn't want someone to panic and end up biting off more than they could chew by foolishly attacking Khan in a useless attempt to subdue him.

"I'll take care of that for you." Prima volunteered, earning herself a raised eyebrow from Khan. "I don't really know much about flying or fixing starships, so while you guys are handling all that, I can keep Khan company in the brig."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan." Kirk agreed.


	19. Miracles

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:  
**

"Requesting your presence on the bridge, Captain. The _Lexington_ has arrived." Spock reported calmly.

"Alright, I'm on my way." Kirk answered, closing his communicator and ending the transmission. "Sorry, but I'm going to have ask you to get back in your cell. We don't want anyone freaking out if they see you running around lose." He told Khan. He didn't want someone to panic and end up biting off more than they could chew by foolishly attacking Khan in a useless attempt to subdue him.

"I'll take care of that for you." Prima volunteered, earning herself a raised eyebrow from Khan. "I don't really know much about flying or fixing starships, so while you guys are handling all that, I can keep Khan company in the brig."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan." Kirk agreed.

* * *

_**[[Chapter 18: Miracles]]**_

* * *

Since he was closer to the transporter room than the bridge, Kirk decided to go and greet the new arrivals Spock had informed him would be coming over to help. Some familiar faces would undoubtedly be mixed in amongst the relief crew being beamed aboard to help man the ship while its real crew recovered from their brush with 'conversion', because with the Enterprise out of commission, that meant they already had an experienced crew with no ship waiting on standby. Everyone who was able to report for duty on such short notice had dutifully assembled once they had heard their captain needed help. None the less, the young captain was pleasantly surprised to see that the first arrivals were none other than Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Hendorff. However, his delight soon turned to fright when they saw the suppressed anger burning in Uhura's eyes.

"Where is he." She ground out carefully in a dangerous tone that left no room for argument. She was going to give that Vulcan boyfriend of hers a piece of her mind, and God help anyone who got in her way.

"On the bridge." Kirk replied instinctively upon sensing the danger, wincing internally, as he stepped aside to let her through. He silently apologized to his friend and first officer, hoping she would go easy on him, but knowing his feisty lieutenant, she was undoubtedly about to rip Spock a new one for not telling her anything before embarking on such a dangerous assignment.

"… Maybe I should go and make sure she doesn't kill him…?" Sulu suggested tentatively, glancing questioningly at Kirk. Even though he had basically just volunteered himself to act as peacekeeper, he was still a bit apprehensive about taking on such a daunting task. Uhura was a force of nature.

"Uh, yes. Thank you, Mr. Sulu." Kirk said, grateful for his sacrifice. "I'll join you on the bridge shortly, once I'm finished here."

"Yes, Sir." Sulu replied dutifully before heading for the bridge, following after Lieutenant Uhura.

"… So, I hear you've managed to break yet another ship, Captain?" Scotty chimed in after a moment of silence for their doomed, pointy-eared friend, trying to lighten the mood. "Whose brilliant idea was it to set off an EMP inside a starship?"

"That would be Prima." Kirk told him, smiling wryly. "Well, her full name is Primavera Dempsey, but we just call her Prima."

"Oh, right… so then she'd be the extra superwoman we've all heard so little about?" Scotty asked. 'Primavera'… like the pasta?

"That's her. Do you want to meet her, before you get started on the repairs?" Kirk asked.

"Sure." Scotty agreed readily, curious about their new friend. "Chekov will be comin' along right behind me. I'm sure he'll have no trouble gettin' started without me."

"Sounds like the whole gang is coming." Kirk said, grinning. "Come along, Mr. Hendorff. I want you stationed in the brig as part of security."

—∞—

**The Brig**

Scotty and Hendorff were standing in the middle of the room wide-eyed with astonishment. Whatever they had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been this. Prima and Khan had apparently been much more tired than any of them had realized, because they had fallen asleep while sitting on the floor on both sides of Khan's cell, leaning against the glass. If not for that thin barrier, her head would be resting on his shoulder, and his head on top of hers. They were still holding hands through the artificial iris in the glass between them.

"Yeah, I know." Kirk said. "She's always doing crazy stuff like that."

"Shouldn't we, I don't know, move her?" Hendorff suggested tentatively. He was confused to find Khan holding hands with his captor, but whatever the reason, it was probably best to separate them for the girl's own safety, right?

Khan opened one of his eyes a crack. Unlike Prima, he was a light sleeper, and he had been secretly listening in on their conversation ever since they had entered the room.

"Nah, she'll be fine. Just leave her alone until she wakes up on her own." Kirk decided wisely. Khan closed his eye again, reassured now that he knew they weren't going to do anything to Prima. "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I think I'll go turn over command to Mr. Sulu. I think McCoy, Spock, and I could all use a little rest after what we've been through in the last 24 hours." Getting your ass kicked by a superhuman and fighting a hoard of cyborg-zombies could take a lot out of a guy.

—∞—

**Several hours later,  
Earth— Starfleet HQ  
San Francisco, California **

Prima was slumped in a chair outside the meeting room where their debriefing was to take place, patiently waiting for her turn to be called in. She was still feeling a little green around the gills. Once they had reached Starbase 6, it had been decided that rather than risking another hijacking, Kirk, Spock, and Prima should escort Khan back to Earth by hopping across space from one transporter to another. (McCoy had stayed behind to oversee the recovery of the converted crew of the _Excalibur _at Starbase 6.) The whole experience had left Prima feeling a little queasy, since not only was this her first time using a transporter, but she found the idea of being taken apart and reassembled on the atomic level somewhat disturbing. She had done it, of course, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it. Once they had reached Earth, she seriously had to fight an impulse to kiss the ground. She didn't know how the others so could be so blasé about the whole experience. What if there had been some sort of malfunction, and they couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again?

"They're ready for you, Miss Dempsey." A young woman stepped out of the room to announce. Prima was pretty sure she was a lieutenant, but it was harder to tell much else about her position there since everyone was wearing some variation on a grey dress uniform now, so their department wasn't quite as easy to distinguish as when they had been so obviously color-coded back on the ship.

Prima stood up and followed her into the room, where Kirk, Spock, Admiral Banks, a few other members of the brass, and an elderly Vulcan were already seated and waiting for her.

"Have a seat, Miss Dempsey." Banks said gravely, motioning to an empty chair. "We just have a few questions left that we would like to ask you. We would appreciate it if you could cooperate and answer us honestly to the best of your abilities."

"All right, I think I can manage that." She replied, raising an eyebrow. What was with the third degree? Hadn't she already proved they could trust her by helping them with Khan and that SNAFU with Dr. Dahl?

"Then we'll get started. First, are you certain of this man's identity as Khan Noonien Singh?"

"Yes." Prima replied confidently, though slightly taken aback. She glanced questioningly at Kirk. Did they think they had captured a double or something? Wasn't it a bit late in the game to be asking that question? "I've known him ever since I was a little girl. I would never be tricked by a fake. Khan is definitely who he claims to be."

"What is your _exact _relationship with Khan?" Banks pressed on.

"I suppose you could say we were something like childhood friends who look out for each other… but I'm pretty sure we're more like lovers now." She said thoughtfully, trying to keep from blushing, while she suppressed the ridiculously happy grin threatening to take over her face into a more subtle Mona Lisa smile.

"What? When did that happen_!_?" Kirk blurted out, gaping at her in astonishment. He was torn between being happy for her and incredulity that she was practically sleeping with the enemy now.

"Like, a few hours ago, back when we were still on the _Excalibur._" Prima said carelessly, waving off his concern. "Oh, don't worry. It barely changes anything. I'm not planning on 'switching sides'."

"Really? Normally one would assume that would change everything." Spock pointed out.

"Mr. Spock, I have been in love with Khan since long before anyone in this room was born, and yet I agreed to help you apprehend him. They only thing that's changed is that now I know he loves me back." Prima replied calmly. "I don't know how you do things in the future, but I've found that the best way to love someone is not to change them, but to instead help them reveal the greatest version of themselves. And, sometimes, this means saving them from becoming their own worst enemy, even if it means going against them. In a relationship, you also need someone who's going to call you out, not someone who's going to let everything slide. It keeps you honest. At the time, when he was being blackmailed, threatened, thought everyone he had ever cared about had been murdered, and he had been made to feel like he was completely alone in the universe, Khan felt his actions were completely justified. But he understands that what he did was wrong, and he is willing to atone for his crimes. All he asks is that you spare his crew, who have done nothing wrong. We know it's unreasonable to expect that there won't be any repercussions for everything he's done, but please keep in mind that he surrendered to us willingly on Rigel XII, and he also played a substantial part in helping Captain Kirk stop Dr. Dahl, before once again allowing himself to be taken prisoner. As for me, so long as I think he's being treated fairly, you don't have to worry about any trouble coming from me, but if it makes you feel better, you can lock me up along with him until the trial is over." She stated strongly, crossing her arms. Her hazel eyes were smoldering with honest determination.

"Miss Dempsey… from what we hear, it was you who arranged for Khan and his crew to be sent out on the _Botany Bay_. If what you say is true, then why would you arrange for their safe passage after they had been tried and sentenced to death for war crimes three hundred years ago?" Banks asked persistently.

"Look, I know what the history books say, but I'm telling you, they've got it wrong. All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power, not truth. That little detail was probably added in later to keep people from asking too many questions so the government wouldn't have to admit to a war-weary public that there were still 85 augments floating around unaccounted for." Prima insisted. "Khan may have been a tyrant, but he was a benevolent one. He and his crew never committed any war atrocities or crimes against humanity, and there was never a trial. The deal was that if they agreed to leave peacefully and Khan abdicated the throne in favor of a normal human, then they would be allowed to leave Earth in safety and attempt to start over on some other world where they wouldn't be a bother to anyone. It was all done very quietly and in secret, to keep the remaining augments from finding out until after the virus could be released to weaken them. Those psychos were the real war criminals. They were the ones committing genocide and waging war just for the hell of it. Khan only fought to defend his territory when one of them was stupid enough to try to attack. I know it might be hard to imagine based on your experience with him, but you have to keep in mind that you've only seen him at his absolute worst. Their whole lives, there have been people constantly trying to take advantage and use them. The date I read that was listed as the historical start of the Eugenics Wars was 1991, but in reality, they have been fighting for at least half of their lives. It really started in the 1980s, during the Cold War Era, when the pharmaceutical company responsible for starting the Chrysalis Project that created them, began leasing Khan and the older augments out as special agents to carry out missions for whoever paid the most, like a 007 for hire. It was only when the Cold War began to heat up that the public finally became aware of the war that was being fought right under their noses by various world powers. Everyone blames the augments for the war, but they weren't the ones who started it. Ordinary humans, like yourselves, did. They were the ones who instilled the concept of 'genetic superiority' and 'creating a master race' in them. Bigotry and hate are learned behaviors, gentlemen. You may think the problem lies solely in their nature, but in fact a large part of it is due to how they were nurtured. If from infancy you treat children like gods, in adulthood they are liable to act as devils. But Khan and his crew are not evil. _We_ are not evil. Just imperfect. I admit it's true that augments are capable of being crueler, meaner, and more evil than you've ever imagined, but the good news is they can also be kinder, gentler, and more loving you've ever dreamed. I know it sounds like a complete contradiction, but if you think about it, aren't _all _humans like that, enhanced or not?" She asked, gracing them all with a soft, knowing, and sentimental smile that they couldn't help but be charmed by. "We're tired of fighting. All we want is a place where we can live in peace without fear of being used. The last thing we want is for history to repeat itself. We can't solve our problems using the same thinking that created them. We are willing to work with you to find a better solution to this problem."

"Miss Dempsey." The old Vulcan spoke up, slowly standing from his seat at the conference table so that he could approach her. "I believe you are being sincere with us, but there are a number of details I am still uncertain of. With your permission, I would like to use a technique utilized by my people that is known as a 'mind-meld'. It is essentially the joining of two minds through a telepathic link, allowing them to become one. There is some risk involved, but there should be no permanent damage."

"Are you saying you can read my mind?" Prima asked, raising her brows in surprise. "That's very impressive, Mister…?"

"In a sense, yes I can 'read your mind'. But it requires physical contact. I will need to place my hands on your face in order to do so." He replied pleasantly. "And my name is Spock, Miss Dempsey." Prima's eyes widened.

"You mean, you're 'Spock Prime'?" She asked, feeling a little star-struck. It wasn't every day you met a time traveller from the future of an alternate timeline. She had only skimmed through that part, but the whole time-paradox bit had been a real page turner.

"Spock Prime?" Kirk asked as he and Spock both glanced bemusedly at her.

"Oh, sorry. That's just what I've been calling you in my head to help distinguish you from this timeline's Spock." Prima explained, smiling sheepishly. "Is it okay if I call keep calling you that? Having both of you in the room at the same time might get bit confusing…"

"If you wish." Spock Prime replied, seeming slightly amused. "May I perform a mind-meld on you?"

"Will it help remove any doubts you might have about what I've just told you about Khan?" Prima asked a little guardedly, not really all that comfortable with letting someone she barely knew rummage around inside of her head.

"Yes, there will be no doubt." Spock Prime replied. Prima furrowed her brow slightly and bit her lip, thinking it over for a moment before giving her reply.

"All right, I'll do it. I have nothing to hide." She assented. She had already told everything she knew that she thought might pertain to this case to Kirk and everyone else in the room. "Just be careful, please. Some of the stuff rolling around in there is a bit private…" She added a little shyly, blushing slightly.

—∞—

Khan was staring up at the ceiling of his new holding cell, counting all of the tiny, almost imperceptible pores on its surface, completely and utterly bored. They were keeping him carefully confined to a special holding cell in solitary confinement, well away from anything and anyone he might be able to use to his advantage in an escape attempt. His superior mind rebelled at this stagnation. He was doing his best to behave himself, but without Prima there to keep him company, it was growing increasingly more difficult not to pursue one of the many escape plans he had so easily hatched within the first few hours of her absence, when they had made her leave his side to attend a debriefing meeting with Kirk and the others. He needed some sort of distraction. Something to keep his mind from scratching itself raw… It was a welcome relief, as a well as a surprise, when the guards escorted an elderly Vulcan to his cell. There was something vaguely familiar about his countenance, but Khan knew he had never met a Vulcan of such a great age before. Who was this man?

"You have a visitor." One of the guards announced unnecessarily.

"Where is Prima?" Khan asked. He had expected either her or an interrogator to be his first visitor after being confined, but this Vulcan didn't appear to be an official member of Starfleet. For one thing, he wasn't wearing a uniform, and for another, while the guards held themselves with respect towards him, their posture indicated that he was important, but not a direct superior officer.

"Rewriting much of the little known history of Earth's Eugenics Wars, I would imagine. Miss Dempsey has asked me to inform you that she will return as soon as she has finished reviewing Starfleet's case against you." The elderly Vulcan replied calmly as he took a seat in the chair the other guard had dragged up for him and placed in front of the cell. "I am Spock." He introduced himself, giving the augment a meaningful look.

"_You _are Spock?" Khan asked, perking up slightly as everything suddenly clicked into place, now focusing his undivided attention on the older Spock. He had heard of the strange anomaly behind the incident with Nero's Romulan crew and vessel from the future, but he had never expected his own path to cross with the man responsible for it. "What, might I ask, brings you here?" He asked curiously. It was quite a distance between New Vulcan and Earth.

"As you are undoubtedly already aware of, I originally hail from the future of an alternate timeline. I was asked to stand as a witness at your trial, because of my experiences with the Khan I met in my past." Spock Prime explained. Khan's eyes darkened slightly. "However, I have noticed several discrepancies that I feel must be investigated further before I can testify."

"Such as?" Khan inquired, finding himself interested in how his other self may have faired during said encounters. He wondered if perhaps the alternate Prima had managed to help his first encounter with this alternate Spock end on the more peaceful side of things, since Spock Prime was alive and did not seem to bear him any ill will, unlike the younger Mr. Spock of this timeline.

"Your appearance." Spock Prime replied simply, cutting to the quick. Though the advice he had given his young counterpart had evidently been effective at the time, it was not until after Khan's recapture the old Vulcan had actually seen what this timeline's Khan, A.K.A. John Harrison, looked like. "The Khan I knew was of a Sikh heritage, distinctly Indian. His eyes were dark, and his skin was a deep tan. Yet you have light eyes and pale skin. It would be logical to assume you had simply undergone some sort of cosmetic surgery to change your appearance, but even your bone structure is different. He also lacked the same advanced degree of cellular regeneration that you and Miss Dempsey both possess. Since my interference with the timeline did not take place until centuries after your lifetime on Earth, everything should have been exactly the same up until the point of my arrival. Therefore, this difference in appearance between the two of you does not make sense." The contrast between this Khan and the Khan he had faced in the past with his old friends was startling. "If I did not know any better, I would think the two of you were completely different people, and assume one of you must therefore be an imposter."

"I am no imposter." Khan said sternly. He did not cherish the thought of someone having dared to impersonate him in the other timeline.

"Yes, Miss Dempsey was adamant on that point as well, and we were able to find a historic portrait of you in the database… but this was also the case with the other Khan, and his revived crew never questioned or challenged his leadership, either." Spock continued to explain patiently.

"The other Prima gave him a positive I.D. as well?" Khan asked, furrowing his brow slightly. That couldn't be right. How could such a thing be possible? Had his counterpart had a different father? That would certainly help to explain the difference in their appearances, and also why the mutation that resulted in his superior healing abilities had not occurred in his counterpart. His mother had always said that particular trait had been a product of his father's genes…

"No, and that brings us to the second discrepancy. In the previous timeline, there was no Primavera Dempsey." Spock replied calmly, watching Khan carefully to see his reaction. Khan's jaw tensed as he locked up, trying not to show how disturbed he was by that simple statement.

"You mean she wasn't on the _Botany Bay_?" He asked, praying it was just a misunderstanding, and his alternate self hadn't truly done the unthinkable.

"No. When the _Enterprise_ discovered the _Botany Bay_ in 2267, there was only a total of 84 crewmembers onboard. There was no record of Miss Dempsey having ever been onboard." Spock said carefully, sensing Khan's distress despite his best efforts. "Given what I have learned of Miss Dempsey's own past and origin, I believe it is most likely that her absence as a member of the other Khan's crew was because she was unable to survive infancy without the help of your blood's excellent healing capabilities, which he lacked."

"In other words…" Khan said, running a hand through his hair, as he processed this terrible and extraordinary revelation. "… Prima was not on the ship, because she was never born into this other timeline, so I never got the chance to meet her." Khan felt he must be in shock. It just didn't even compute. Prima had been and still was such a huge part of his life, that his mind couldn't even begin to accept such a heartbreaking possibility. What sort of life had the other Khan lived without Prima there to brighten it? "Does Prima know?"

"Yes. When I told her my suspicions, she simply smiled and said her parents must have been right when they told her she was 'their miracle' as a small child." Spock replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, that does sound like something she would say." Khan said, smiling a little wanly. That was his Prima, ever the optimist.

Spock studied the man before him carefully. He might still be affected by some of the emotional transference from Prima's memories, because he did not feel the same apprehension he once might have, knowing who this dangerous man was and what he was capable of. Actually, did he truly know what this man was capable of? After all, the Khan he had dealt with in his past had been very different from the Khan in Prima's memories. He had even shown that he was capable of putting aside feelings of vengeance and working with them as an ally, something the other Khan from his reality had never done, even in the face of losing his crew. At the very least, it suggested this Khan was capable of feeling empathy for others, and the effect seemed to be amplified by Miss Dempsey's presence. It was rather fascinating, the dynamic of the relationship they shared. It kept him human.

"Miss Dempsey is a precious anomaly, Mr. Khan." Spock said. "It would be wise to treasure her as such."

"I don't need you to tell me that." Khan scoffed, raising his chin, as he stared the old Vulcan straight in the eye.

"Yes. I can see that." He replied, smiling slightly on the inside, recognizing that the harsh look in his eye was a protective one thanks to Prima's memories.

—∞—

"Ah, Mr. Spock." Spock said as his older counterpart walked out of the cell block. He, Kirk, and Prima had all been waiting for him to finish questioning Khan. The two humans perked up and turned to face Spock Prime as well.

"Can I see him now?" Prima asked, hoping Khan wasn't going too stir-crazy and scraping the paint off of his cell walls. Neither of them dealt very well with confinement. The only reason Khan had been so well behaved during the incident with Marcus while he was on the _Enterprise_ had been because he had adapted it to be part of his plan the moment he learned his crew was still alive. He had wanted to be there.

"Yes, thank you for your patience, Miss Dempsey." Spock Prime said calmly, nodding at her.

"Oh, please. Just call me Prima." She said with a wave of her hand, smiling. "After all, you've already been inside my head. You probably know more about me than I do now." She added, winking at the guys, as she left to rejoin Khan. Both Spocks raised an eyebrow at her playful behavior, making it even more difficult for Kirk not to laugh.

"I do not understand her sometimes." Young Spock commented.

"Our mother once told me 'women are meant to be loved, not understood'." Spock Prime stated wisely.

"A wise woman." Kirk said, nodding appreciatively. That was a lesson he had to learn the hard way… "So, what's the verdict? Were you able to tell if Khan was telling you the truth or not?" He asked, getting down to business.

"He was very truthful." Spock Prime admitted, still somewhat surprised by just how easy it had been to read the dangerous augment after seeing him through Prima's eyes. "As far as I can tell, both of them have cooperated and told us the truth to the best of their abilities while answering our questions, and as such, I am afraid I can no longer testify as a witness during the trial in the way you would wish."

"What do you mean?" Young Spock asked, furrowing his brow slightly.

"Why not?" Kirk asked.

"Because the man I just spoke to in there may be 'Khan', but he is not the same one I faced in my past." Spock Prime explained. "Their personalities and way of thinking may be similar, but there are crucial differences between them. I believe this reality's Khan could be rehabilitated given the chance, and I cannot, in good conscience, testify otherwise."

"Rehabilitated?" Young Spock asked somewhat incredulously. He glanced at Jim, wondering why he wasn't also expressing a similar discontent with this prognosis. While he trusted his older and wiser counterpart's judgment on most matters, he thought Khan too dangerous to ever be fully released.

"I'm a bit hesitant to agree with you there, but after seeing him with Prima… Well, as long as she's with him, it might be possible." Kirk admitted reluctantly.

"Captain?" Young Spock asked in disbelief of what he was hearing. Didn't Jim, of all people, have the greatest grievance with Khan?

"I know. I can't believe I'm saying this either, Spock." Kirk said, sighing. "But something Prima said made me realize important… I'm not saying we should trust him, just that maybe we should forgive him, for our own sakes. And that doesn't mean I'll go easy on him. I still wanna see his ass thrown in prison for what he did to Pike and the others, but I did make a promise to him and Prima that I would do what I could to help the rest of their 'family'. That's a promise I intend to keep."


	20. Across The Universe

I own nothing but my OC.

* * *

**Previously:  
**

_"The man I just spoke to in there may be 'Khan', but he is not the same one I faced in my past." Spock Prime explained. "Their personalities and way of thinking may be similar, but there are crucial differences between them. I believe this reality's Khan could be rehabilitated given the chance, and I cannot, in good conscience, testify otherwise."_

_"Rehabilitated?" Young Spock asked somewhat incredulously. He glanced at Jim, wondering why he wasn't also expressing a similar discontent with this prognosis. While he trusted his older and wiser counterpart's judgment on most matters, he thought Khan too dangerous to ever be fully released._

_"I'm a bit hesitant to agree with you there, but after seeing him with Prima… Well, as long as she's with him, it might be possible." Kirk admitted reluctantly._

_"Captain?" Young Spock asked in disbelief of what he was hearing. Didn't Jim, of all people, have the greatest grievance with Khan?_

_"I know. I can't believe I'm saying this either, Spock." Kirk said, sighing. "But something Prima said made me realize important… I'm not saying we should trust him, just that maybe we should forgive him, for our own sakes. And that doesn't mean I'll go easy on him. I still wanna see his ass thrown in prison for what he did to Pike and the others, but I did make a promise to him and Prima that I would do what I could to help the rest of their 'family'. That's a promise I intend to keep."_

* * *

_**[[Chapter 19: Across The Universe]]**_

* * *

Khan stood up as soon as Prima entered his line of sight. The guards stepped aside to admit her as she approached his cell. She took a moment to observe him, to determine what sort of mood he might be in after being caged for so long, before speaking.

"Let me in." She ordered the guards, not even bothering to look at them, while she maintained eye contact with Khan.

The moment she stepped inside the cell with him, Khan pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, as though he would never let go of her again. He pressed his lips to her forehead and inhaled deeply, memorizing the scent of her hair, the way she felt against him, everything. He didn't want to miss a single thing. Spock Prime's unsettling revelation about the true rarity of Prima's existence had only made her all the more precious to him. He loved and cherished her all the more for it. She was simultaneously his greatest weakness and his greatest strength. He didn't just love her. She owned him, completely. He would do anything for her.

"We'll get through this." Prima promised him solemnly, feeling the fervent urgency in his embrace, and matching it with her own as she wrapped her arms around him. As much he was worried about her, she was equally concerned about him. While there was no danger of Khan receiving a death penalty, she still wanted to try to get his sentence reduced as much as possible. She was confident Khan would be able to handle prison with relative ease, since he was likely to be at the top of the food chain with his superior strength and intellect, but despite her calm façade, she was loathe to be separated from him so soon after they had finally found each other again and finally managed to confirm their feelings for one another. "I won't lie. Things are looking pretty difficult for you at the moment. They're still upset over the Kelvin Archive and so on. I can't promise to fix all your problems," she said, gazing up into his cool glasz eyes, "but I can promise you won't have to face them all alone."

"That is all I ask." Khan replied, gazing down softly at her. He anointed her forehead with another kiss. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

—∞—

**Stardate: 2259. 361  
San Francisco, California  
Strawberry Hill**

"This is it." Prima announced, hopping up to stand on one of the stones at the top of the waterfall. "What do you think?" she asked, glancing back at Khan. He had only just been officially released into her custody little more than an hour ago, but this couldn't wait. They didn't have much time until they had to meet up with Captain Kirk and the others for another sort of memorial before leaving on the _Enterprise_ with them. Thankfully, in light of his heroics onboard the _Excalibur_, the judge and jury had decided to be more merciful than they could have hoped for. As a combination of probation/community service, he was to join the crew of the _Enterprise_ on their five-year mission. If Khan could prove he wasn't a danger to Starfleet and that he was able to work peacefully with normal humans without trying to conquer and subjugate them, then Starfleet would fulfill the promise made to them 300 years ago when they left Earth and help them find a suitable M-class planet that he and the rest of his crew could colonize, as they had intended to do before Marcus found the _Botany Bay_ and everything went to hell in a hand basket. Until then, the surviving members of their crew would remain in cryostasis, blissfully unaware of their leader's struggles, until they could be reawakened on their new homeworld.

"It's perfect." Khan replied, admiring the natural beauty around them and the lovely view the had from the top of the hill. It was one of the few green spaces left in the city. It would be a suitable resting place for the cremated remains of their fallen comrades. After everything they had suffered, they deserved to be given peace in a beautiful place like this. Hopefully fate would be kinder to them in the next life.

"Would you like to do the honors?" She asked, removing the lid of the box containing their deceased family members' ashes. Since Khan had not wanted to delay their cremation ceremony anymore than was necessary, he had given her the OK to go ahead and do it while he was still being kept under lock and key, but she had at least wanted to wait to do this part with him, to let them both have some closure over their deaths. Khan solemnly and respectfully reached his hand into the box, taking a handful of the ash. He cast it into the air, and the two of them watched as the remains of their friends were spread thin upon the wind, flying freely to wherever it might take them.

—∞—

**San Francisco, California  
Starfleet HQ**

"There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves." Kirk said, pausing his speech for a moment as several jets flew overhead as part of the pomp and circumstance of the ceremony taking place.

Countless people had gathered. He noticed that all of his favorite officers and friends were seated together in one of the rows amongst the crowd. Prima and Khan had very wisely decided to attend the memorial at a safe and respectful distance away from the rest of the crew and family members of the fallen.

"Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us." He continued as the color guard began ceremoniously folding a Federation flag. "But that's not who we are. We are hear today to rechristen the _USS Enterprise_, and to honor those who lost their lives nearly one year ago. When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship he had me recite the Captain's Oath, words I didn't appreciate at the time. Now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were, and who we must be again. And those words?"

—∞—

_[Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her five-year mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.]_

**Onboard the ****_USS Enterprise_****...**

Captain on the bridge." Chekov announced with his heavy Russian accent as Kirk stepped onto the bridge, smiling as he inhaled that 'new ship' smell and glanced around. Everything was just as it should be. He noticed Sulu was still keeping the captain's chair warm for him.

"It's hard to get out of if once you've had a taste, isn't that right, Mr. Sulu?" Kirk asked lightly.

"'Captain' does have a nice ring to it. Chair's all yours, Sir." Sulu said, smiling slightly, as he stood up and vacated the chair, stepping aside as Kirk circled around, tracing his hand over the its top, savoring the familiar feel of the synthetic leather. It was good to be back. He pressed the switch to connect him to engineering.

"Mr. Scott. How's our core?" The captain asked pleasantly.

"Purring like a kitten, Captain." Scotty reported happily as he paced around the ship's engine with Keenser assisting him. "She's ready for a long journey." The Scotsman said, smiling proudly up at his baby.

"Excellent." Kirk praised him before closing off the link and stepping down from the chair. "Come on, Bones! It's gonna be fun." He reassured his grumpy friend, giving him a friendly clap on the arm as he passed him by.

"Five years in space… God help me." The doctor sighed grudgingly, shaking his head.

"Miss Dempsey." Kirk said, smiling as he addressed her formally as one of the latest additions to his crew. Although there were still some tensions between himself and Khan, he had become fairly good friends with Prima over the past year while he and the others helped her learn how to adjust to life in the current century. She was practically one of the guys now. "Uh, I'm glad you could be a part of the family."

"Thanks for having me." She replied, smiling brightly. She was immensely grateful to him for arranging for her to be allowed onboard as a 'civilian consultant' so that she and Khan could be together. "If you're wondering about Khan, he's just gone down to get started on working with Scotty in Engineering."

"Right, good." Kirk said, smiling a little wryly, as he walked away and tried to imagine how that must be going for his chief engineer. Poor Scotty must be sweating buckets. Not that the engineer, really had anything to worry about with Prima onboard. There was no way Kirk would have ever agreed to take Khan on without his human pacifier present. It was a shame Carol couldn't be with them too, but it was probably for the best that she couldn't join them with Khan being onboard after what he did to her father. Instead, she had decided to accept an invitation to work on a more civilian science project, something called 'Genesis'. "Spock." He said as he passed his first officer before coming to a stop in front of the large view-screen in front of his captain's chair.

"Captain." Spock said in acknowledgment, walking over to stand beside him.

"Where shall we go?" Kirk asked.

"As a mission of this duration has never been attempted, I defer to your good judgment, Captain." Spock replied, smiling slightly, before resuming his post at the science station, next to Uhura, who smiled from her place at communications.

Kirk smiled slightly as he also took a seat, resting his arms on the sides of the captain's chair as he gave the order, "Mr. Sulu, take us out."

"Aye, Captain." Sulu replied dutifully as he and Chekov began making the necessary adjustments to their control panels. Once everything was in order, Sulu executed his orders and punched it. The _Enterprise_ sped off into space, leaving behind a glowing trail of blue energy in her wake.

* * *

**Author's note:** Thank you for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would just like to take a moment to clear something up. For anyone who has not taken any Italian language classes, 'primavera' means 'spring' in Italian. Prima was named after the pretty season, not a yummy pasta dish.

Also, I am planning on doing a prequel and sequel to this story. The prequel would focus on the rise and fall of Khan, exploring more of his and Prima's past together. The sequel would be based on the TOS series and feature Khan and Prima's adventures with the crew of the _Enterprise_. It will most likely be more episodic in nature rather than completely continuous like this one. Please let me know what you think.


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